Ghana Statistical Service: Nearly 80,000 Girls In Ghana Already Married Or Living With Boyfriends

• Data from the 2021 population and housing census has revealed a staggering number of Ghanaian girls are already married or living with a man
• The figures according to the Ghana Statistical Service reveal that the ladies are aged between 12 and 17 years
• The data also adds that out of the number, nearly 26,000 of them are girls in Junior High Schools in the country

Data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that almost 80,000 girls in the country aged between 12 and 17 years are already married or living with a man.

Out of the number, nearly 26,000 can be found in Junior High Schools in the country aged between 12 to 14 years.

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Northern, North East And Savannah Regions Have Highest Percentage Of Underage Girls Either Married Or Living With Boyfriends

Also, a breakdown of regional figures reveals that three regions up north have the highest percentage of girls in such unions.

The North East Region tops the charts with 13.0%; the Savannah Region is the second with 10.9%, and the Northern the third with 10.6%.

These percentage rates are more than twice the national average of 4.0%.

Despite the Akufo-Addo-led government’s efforts to ensure all boys and girls of school-going age get free and compulsory universal basic education, over 200,000 girls between the ages of 6 to 14 years have never attended school.

Again, the Northern, Savannah and North East Regions are the worst affected.

Three out of every ten girls who have never attended school are in the Northern Region (73,516), followed by the Savannah Region with 27,930 and the North East Region with 22,857.

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The data is based on the 2021 Population and Housing Census and was highlighted to coincide with the International Day of the Girl Child, which is being observed globally today, Tuesday, October 11, 2022.

The day seeks to highlight challenges preventing young girls from reaching their full potentials, such as early marriage and lack of access to educational and other opportunities.

Importance Of Girl Child Education In Ghana

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that most African governments have not in any way established any sort of measurements, policies, and laws that discriminate between males and females since independence.

But people still have different attitudes in several parts of society against women.

Social and cultural beliefs and misconceptions give rise to this discrimination. Most of it can be solved by providing good and proper education to girls.

Source: YEN.com.gh