A Regional durbar on the global agenda to accelerate action to end early, forced and child marriages has been held in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region with a call on stakeholders to increase investment in girl children.

Ms Celina Owusu, National Programme Analyst of the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the durbar grounds, said early marriage in Ghana was alarming and a critical issue that needed total commitment of all stakeholders.

She said while global indicators of the phenomenon was worrying as 13.5 million girls got married before attaining the age of 15 years worldwide, in Ghana, one out of every five girls got married before 18 years, with the three regions of the North recording higher numbers and that prevented girl children from developing their full potentials.

The durbar was part of an inception phase of consultations with stakeholders to propel actions towards empowering girls and ending early, forced and child marriages in Ghana.

Ms Owusu said Ghana was among three other countries in the Sub Region including Niger, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone that were working in joint programmes to eradicate the menace.

Responding to cultural and traditional beliefs that encourage early childhood marriages, she said awareness creation and consultations with stakeholders were underway while documentaries of forced and early child marriages were being launched in the regions to drum home the effects of the phenomenon.

“When we invest in girl children there are rippling effects because of the strategic roles of girls and women,” Ms Owusu said.

Mr Philip Aboore Adongo, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), in an address at the durbar, said early and forced marriages of the girl child had consequences for women and girls with repercussions that lead to gender based violence and health implications among others.

Mr Adongo appreciated the increasing patronage of traditional custodians on the issue and called for more commitment towards initiatives in ending the phenomenon and pledged government’s support to help end child marriages in Ghana.

Earlier on in the week, a media training on ending child marriage advocacy and reporting was also carried out for journalists from Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, to equip them to increase reportage on early, forced and child marriage.

The objectives of the global initiatives among others is to support government and civil society organizations to reach out to marginalized and adolescent girls especially those at risk and those affected by child marriages, improve sexual reproductive health knowledge and practices and enhance girls autonomy in social networks and participation.