The Evangelical Presbyterian (E.P) Church Ghana is set to kick-start a project in all its 15 presbyteries across the country to help address the issue of gender-based violence, including Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM).

Speaking at the launch of the project at Ho in the Volta Region, the Presbyter Executive of the General Assembly of the church, Charles Sakyi said the platform will be utilised to strengthen the capacity of women particularly, girls to enable them make decisions for their welfare.

The 3-year project dubbed “Promotion of Gender Equality Through the Prevention of Child, Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) and other Harmful Practices against Girls and Women within the EP Church, Ghana and its Environs” seeks to, among other things build the skills and knowledge of girls to understand and exercise their rights.

It will be rolled out under the auspices of the Evangelical Presbyterian Development and Relief Agency (EPDRA). The Presbyter Executive of the General Assembly of the EP church, Charles Sakyi said the project will be implemented in 3 phases which will witness 5 presbyteries participating in each phase.

He said the aim is to prevent and reduce violence experienced among vulnerable groups especially, women and girls within the Church’s jurisdiction through enhanced knowledge, positive societal attitudes, and responsiveness of all stakeholders. The Moderator of the General Assembly of the EP church, Rt. Rev. Dr. Col. Bliss Divine Agbeko (RTD) who chaired the event, urged adolescent girls to take their studies seriously and advocated for the inclusion of boys in such projects. Indicating that a boy who drops out of school is more of a danger and a threat to the society and the country at large.

“There may be other things also affecting boys who also drop out of school, when the girl drops out of school compared to the boy dropping out of school, the boy could be more dangerous to society than the girl” he said.

The Volta Regional Director of Social Welfare, Stella Mawusi said her outfit received a total of three thousand 682 child protection cases across the 18 Districts/Municipalities of the Volta Region within the last 3 years. She appealed to traditional authorities, faith-based leaders, parents, NGOs and all stakeholders to work together to understand the effects of gender-based violence so as to equip them to respond effectively to cases associated with violence.

“Usually, you see people becoming parents as teenage mothers without the resources and the capacity to provide care for these children, and those events, usually what happens is, abuse, neglect, and other violations of the rights of the child” she said.

The Volta Regional Director for the Department of Gender, Thywill Eyra Kpe was hopeful that the project will complement the government’s 10 years National Strategic Framework to end child marriage by 2027. The Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Divine Bosson launched the project and pledged the Assembly’s commitment to ensure its successful implementation. Other partners include the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD), DOVVSU and CHRAJ. It is being funded by CEVAA.