Activities included a caravan possession through some principal streets of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) and a durbar at the Gyandu Park where a Child Marriage mural was launched to increase social actions to curb the incidence of Child Marriage in the Western Region.
These events were held on Tuesday, 7th December 2021. Stakeholders present at the event were Heads of Departments of various Government and Non-Governmental institutions, women’s groups, female apprentices, and some members of the Department’s Boys club and other youth groupings. About 70% of participants were females with 30% being males.
The Department of Gender in consultation with the Western Regional Coordinating Council selected the wall of Sekondi Gyandu Park for its vantage location with human and vehicular traffic. It is also near to some red-spots within the STMA where Child Marriage and other violence or vices could be perpetrated.
In all about, 5,000 people were reached with information on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) issues with focus on Child Marriage. Fortunately for the team, the day of the activity was a statutory market day for Sekondi. This afforded the caravan the opportunity to propagate information to patrons of the Sekondi market. Interactions with indigenes on GBV issues indicated that there was a need for intensified engagements with them to demystify some myths on the issues for discussion.
The Western Regional office has experienced a substantial increase in referral cases from the Orange Support Centre; this could be attributed to flyers channeled out during the team’s education on how indigenes could solicit for assistance when in distress. About 500 sanitary pads were distributed to some female adolescents at the Ketan Cluster of Schools as part of this activity.
Community members particularly those who were privy to information from the activity have gained self-consciousness on the negative impact of SGBV and more particularly Child Marriage. This, the Department believed would go a long way to intensify community actions to end Child Marriage. Various stakeholders at the durbar pledged their unflinching support to curb incidence of Child Marriage through advocacy and sensitization at various levels.
