Gender Studies Rights Documentation Center (GSRDC) and MIHOSO International, Non-Governmental Organisations are implementing a project to reduce early and forced marriages among adolescent girls in some parts of Brong-Ahafo Region.

The two-year project is being funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented in 10 communities in Nkoranza North District and Kintampo Municipality.

The communities are Chiranda, Babatokuma, Kadelso, Gurumpe and Kawaumpe in Kintampo Municipal and Dinkra, Dromankoma, Dromankese, Senya and Temiebu in the Nkoranza North District.

Madam Dorcas Coker Appiah, Executive Director of Gender Center, working to promote the rights of women said this at a training workshop for some key stakeholders in the project implementing districts in Sunyani.

The two-day training was attended by representatives from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, National Commission for Civic Education, Department of Social Welfare, Ghana Health Service and other civil society organisations.

Participants, who were drawn from the two project implementing districts, were taken through topics, such as gender based violence, causes and consequences.

Madam Appiah observed with regret that, early and forced marriages were rife in the communities, though the NGOs had stepped up education and stressed the need to build the capacity of law enforcement agencies and service providers to handle cases of early marriages effectively.

She explained that, under the project, 44 students from the beneficiary communities had been trained as peer educators to sensitize their colleagues and other community members on the dangers of forced and early marriages.

The peer educators were also tasked to organize educational and sensitization meetings, as well as activities for school children in their schools and communities.