Men who impregnate girls under 18 to buy cow, pay money

Europa

October 23, 2017 10:14 AM

This forms part of the by-laws which have been devised by traditional leaders in conjunction with parents to protect young girls against teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

Men who impregnate girls in the Upper West Region will now pay as high as GHC1,000, as well as, items such as cow and food.

The move is also to improve the level of basic education in the area.

Statistics from UNICEF indicate that the Upper West Region has the third highest child marriage rate with 36.3%. The Upper East and Western regions tops the chart with 39.2% and 36.7% respectively.

UNICEF has subsequently liaised with the ActionAid Ghana and the traditional leaders of the two Sissala districts to come out with ways to curtail the issue.

Below are the sanctions:

1. No person should marry or impregnate a girl below the age of 18 years. Sanction: Five hundred cedis (500) and a cow given to the community.2. No incest is allowed in the Sissala Land. Sanction: A sheep and one thousand cedis (1,000).

3. No family should accept any girl below 18 years of age for purposes of marriage into their homes. Sanction: shall pay five hundred Ghana cedis (500) to the community.

4. No chief should support any case of child marriage or pregnancy. Sanction: The chief shall pay one thousand cedis (1,000) and a sheep to the community.

5. No teenage pregnant girl should be allowed to stay with the boy’s family while the boy takes care of the pregnant girl in the areas of food, soap , Hospital bills , clothes etc. Sanction: A sheep and one thousand cedis (1,000).

6. Parents should seize mobile phones from their children when seen holding.

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