Parent irresponsibility causing rise of teenage pregnancy in Central Region – News Ghana

Rampant cases of teenage pregnancy in the Central Region was as a result of some parent irresponsible acts towards young girls.

Mrs Richlove Amamoo, the Regional Director of the Department of Gender has said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Cape Coast.

She said the rate of increase incidence of the menace was disheartening and frustrating knowing the number of girls being deprived of reaching their expected ambitions.

“ A lot of teen pregnancy among girls were due to their parents irresponsibility of providing basic needs” she lamented.

Mrs Amamoo noted that parental neglect, inability to provide young girls three square meal and basic necessities such as pads among others causing the high incidence rate of the canker.

She revealed that some parent do not invest in the lives of their children, thus finding it difficult to control them when they go astray.

“ some children in our communities cater for themselves therefore their parents can no longer stop them when they do wrong” she added.

The Regional Director revealed that last year reports indicate that most perpetrators of teenage pregnancy were teachers though there were code of ethics governing schools and dealing with teaching allowing students to do their house chores.

She stated that at Ekumfi Techiman, community within the Region, parents have been complaining at the rate children perform house chores for teachers after schools where they were suppose to be learning.

Hence the need to reenforce the existing code of ethics to scare perpetrators from engaging such activities.

The Regional Director urged parent to desist shielding perpetrators of defilement and rape due to small monies paid to them and assist stakeholders to fight against the national canker.

She called on them to report the perpetrators to the right authorities for the nescessary actions to be taken.

Tackling child marriage in the Region, Mrs Amamoo explained it had been a serious challenge thus co-habitation and informal marriages have become normal in the Region .

She said young girls after indulging in unprotected sex, pack themselves and move to their boyfriends houses thinking that was marriage.

Mrs Amamoo noted that issues and problems affecting children especially young girls were centered around parent hence the need for them to realize their responsibilities as parents.

She said that parents must inculcate moral values in children and desist from sharing their responsibilities with their children.

In the Region, she said stakeholders were making a headway in the fight against teenage pregnancy but needed increased sensitization and education.

She said there has been an impact in the fight as the Region recorded 10,301 cases of teenage pregnancy in 2020 as compared to 7,558 recorded last year.

The Director appealed to the media to collaborate stakeholders in the fight against the menace as the result affect not only the girl but the citizenry as a whole.

She called on the traditional rulers to involve gender advocate during the celebration of their festivals to educate the girls during that time since more children come on board during those periods.