Child marriage in Tadze in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region, Ghana

Abstract

The study was conducted at Tadze in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region. It examined the nature of child marriage vis-à-vis national and international legal frameworks on child marriage. This is a qualitative study that adopted descriptive design using the phenomenological approach. The concept “child” and “child marriage” were used in this context that “a child means every human being below the age of 18 years” and “child marriage” and “child brides” as well as “early marriage” as used interchangeably in this study, “as a formal marriage/informal union before age 18”.Ten (10) child marriage victims were sampled through snowball and purposive maximum variation sampling techniques. Data were gathered using a semi-structured interview, and focused group discussion guides. The qualitative data was transcribed and presented in themes as narratives, verbatim or direct quotations. The study revealed that child marriage in the Tadze community occurs through a forcibly arranged marriage between an adult man and families of the victim (usually after the girl is put in a family way) without the consent or will of the child. Traditional, customary, religious practices and social norms, poverty, and a poor educational or employment opportunities predispose girls to child marriage in the community. It was recommended that the South Tongu District Assembly with FBOs, NGOs, CSOs, as well as media institutions should intensify advocacy, education and awareness creation, improve access to quality primary and secondary education for girls, and in liaising with CHRAJ, DOVVSU of the Ghana Police Service, Social Welfare Department, and International Federation of Women Lawyers enforce existing laws that abolish harmful traditional practices such as child marriage.