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The supreme chief of the traditional Chiana area in the Kassena-Nankana West district, has asked the men of Ghana to show concern and get involved in the proper education of their children.
Pe Dituudini Adiana Ayagitam III, who is also the president of the Upper East Region Chamber of Chiefs, said that raising children was a collective responsibility of both parents.
He said that it was necessary to properly raise a child, instill in him good moral values, and also ensure discipline so that he adapts well to society.
This, he added, will not only allow children to grow up as responsible citizens to contribute significantly to the development of the nation and also promote love between families.
Pe Ayagitam III made the call when he met with his division and subdivision heads and queen mothers in Chiana during an awareness forum organized by the Rural Initiatives for Self-Empowerment of Ghana (RISE-Ghana), a non-governmental organization.
It was part of the NGO’s efforts to end adolescent pregnancies and child marriage among the local population in particular.
Raising awareness was part of a four-year project called “ENOUGH! Empower women, girls, boys and men to take positive action to end gender-based sexual violence in Ghana, Liberia and Mali ”.
The project was being implemented by RISE-Ghana in partnership with Oxfam Ghana and Women in Law and Development (WiLDAF) with funding from the European Union (EU).
Pe Ayagitam III identified single parents as one of the main causes of teenage pregnancies and child marriages in the area, as parents were unable to care for their wards and therefore could not control them, which it led them astray.
He underlined the importance of love between families as a catalyst to reduce and promote healthy life.
Therefore, he also advocated for prenatal and postnatal classes for men.
This, he said, would push men to participate in their childbirth processes, support their wives and help husbands experience some of the events related to parenting.
The Supreme Chief, who pledged to support the campaign against society and gender violence (SGBV), said he would boost his support in the house of regional chiefs.
He urged the traditional authorities to eliminate or modify certain sociocultural practices that give rise to gender violence, especially teenage pregnancy and child marriage.
Mr. Awal Ahmed Kariama, Executive Director of RISE-Ghana, said SGBV, particularly child marriage and teenage pregnancy, was on the rise and needed the collective efforts of all stakeholders to curb it.
He said highly influential traditional authorities could play an active role, including enacting and punishing SGBV perpetrators, to deter others.
She urged chiefs and queen mothers to join the awareness campaign to educate their people, especially fathers, on how to care for their children, to help secure a better future, and protect the rights of women and girls prone to SGBV.
“This will create an enabling environment for women and girls, above all, to know, claim and exercise their rights to end the threat and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goals three, four and five, “he added.
