On April 8, 2025, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in collaboration with UNICEF and UNFPA, held a validation workshop at Sunlodge Hotel in Tesano, Accra, to review the Gender Analysis of Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Programming for Ending Child Marriage in Ghana. The event marked a significant step in refining national strategies to combat child marriage, a practice affecting 1 in 5 Ghanaian women before age 18, with higher prevalence in rural, impoverished, and less-educated communities.
The workshop, opened by Madam Saphia Tamimu on behalf of the Ministry, emphasized the need for gender-transformative approaches to address root causes like gender inequality, poverty, and harmful cultural norms. The study, presented by consultant Mary Tobbin Osei, analyzed five key SBC interventions: Ghana Against Child Abuse (GACA), Child Protection Community Engagement Toolkit, Child Marriage-Free Community Alert Mapping, Engagement of Men & Boys Initiatives, and Community Advocacy Toolkits. Through 31 focus group discussions and 44 key informant interviews across four regions—Northern, Upper East, Volta, and Central—the research assessed these interventions’ positions on the gender-transformative spectrum, from gender-blind to transformative.
Findings revealed that while interventions like GACA are gender-responsive, acknowledging specific needs of women and girls, none fully address entrenched socio-cultural norms or power imbalances driving child marriage. The Child Marriage-Free Community Alert Campaign, for instance, is advancing toward gender-responsive but falls short of transformative impact. Recommendations from group discussions included innovative strategies like using child parliamentarians as GACA champions, increasing media engagement, and developing psychosocial counseling models to shift cultural attitudes. Other proposals urged greater inclusion of men, boys, and traditional leaders, alongside policy reviews and dedicated budgets to enhance sustainability and scalability.
UNICEF highlighted Ghana’s progress, noting a decline in child marriage from 40% in the 1980s to 16% in 2022, but stressed the need for continued efforts to promote gender equality. The workshop also validated updated targets for the National Operational Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (2025-2026), ensuring accountability in implementing the National Strategic Framework on Ending Child Marriage (2017-2026). By integrating these findings, Ghana aims to strengthen its fight against child marriage, fostering a brighter future for its girls.
