VALIDATION MEETING ON THE SOCIAL PROTECTION AND CHILD MARRIAGE STUDY

The Child Marriage Unit under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with UNICEF Ghana, organised a one-day validation meeting on the ‘Social Protection and Child Marriage Study’ on Thursday, 26th June 2025, in Accra.

The purpose of the meeting was to review and validate the preliminary findings of the study within the context of social protection frameworks and to refine the recommendations to ensure they are practical and implementable.

The session also provided a platform to engage members of the steering committee and relevant stakeholders in the validation process, fostering consensus and ownership of the study’s outcomes.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the Chief Director of MoGCSP, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, the Head of the Child Marriage Unit, Madam Safia Tamimu, stated that despite ongoing efforts to curb child marriage, the harmful practice remains a pressing issue in the country.

She emphasized the importance of exploring how social protection interventions such as LEAP and ISS can contribute to reducing child marriage.

According to her, the linkage between social protection and child marriage represents a crucial step in deepening stakeholders’ understanding of the role key interventions like the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme and Integrated Social Services (ISS) can play in addressing the issue.

Madam Safia Tamimu further highlighted that social protection plays a critical role in tackling the root causes of child marriage. She pointed out that economic hardship remains a major driver, often compelling families to marry off their daughters at an early age.

She stressed that interventions that improve household income and support girls to remain in school are essential in the fight against child marriage.

She encouraged participants to contribute their expertise, perspectives, and insights to ensure that the study is not only rigorous, but also practical and impactful for policy and programme development.

A representative from UNICEF Ghana commended the Ministry for its commitment to evidence-based programming and pledged continued support in strengthening social protection systems to help prevent child marriage.

The meeting also served as a platform for stakeholders to examine and provide feedback on the draft report of the study, which explores how social protection interventions such as LEAP and ISS can serve as protective factors in reducing child marriage—particularly among vulnerable communities—while identifying an enabling environment in the country.

A presentation was delivered on the study’s approach, methodology, and key findings. Participants engaged in robust discussions, offering constructive feedback aimed at integrating adolescent perspectives into programme design, enhancing monitoring and evaluation systems, and ensuring that social protection strategies are both culturally sensitive and gender-transformative.

Please visit the Child Marriage Informational Portal to access additional resources regarding the issue of Child Marriage in Ghana: cm.mogcsp.gov.gh

Source: MoGCSP