Stolen Childhood: Confronting the Heartbreaking Reality of Child Marriage in Ghana

 

In the quiet corners of Ghana’s rural communities, far from the bustling cities, a devastating reality unfolds each day. Young girls — some as young as twelve or thirteen — are pulled out of school, dressed in “wedding” clothes they never chose, and handed over to men old enough to be their fathers. Their childhoods are cut short, their dreams extinguished, and their futures irreversibly altered.

Child marriage is not just a statistic; it is a deeply personal tragedy claiming thousands of young lives in Ghana every year. Despite existing laws and years of advocacy, the practice continues to thrive — leaving behind a trail of lost potential, broken spirits, and lifelong suffering.

Dreams Deferred

For many girls in Ghana, school represents a sanctuary — a place where they can imagine a future beyond poverty and restrictive traditions. Yet, for those forced into marriage, education becomes a fleeting memory. They are withdrawn from classrooms to prepare for marriage or motherhood, thrust into adult responsibilities they neither chose nor are ready for.

Imagine a bright 14-year-old girl, eager to learn, suddenly told her education no longer matters because her family deems her a burden best relieved through marriage. Her dreams of becoming a teacher, nurse, or doctor are crushed under the weight of societal expectations. Without education, she loses the power to envision or pursue a life beyond subsistence — perpetuating the same cycle of poverty that trapped her parents before her.

The Economic Trap

The economic consequences of child marriage extend far beyond the individual. When a girl is married off, she loses not only her education but also her chance to contribute meaningfully to her community and the national economy.

In many impoverished households, families view marriage as a financial relief — one less mouth to feed. But the reality is the opposite. Most child brides end up in low-paying or unpaid domestic roles, fully dependent on husbands who often struggle themselves. What begins as an escape from poverty becomes a generational trap. The promise of relief quickly turns into despair as these young women and their families remain locked in economic hardship.

A future that could have been shaped by education and empowerment is reduced to one of survival.

The Hidden Cost

Beyond education and economics, the physical toll of child marriage is devastating. Early marriage almost always leads to early pregnancy — and with it, severe health risks for young girls who are neither physically nor emotionally ready for childbirth.

Girls as young as 13 or 14 endure life-threatening complications during pregnancy, including obstetric fistula, severe bleeding, infections, lifelong disabilities, and even death. Many do not survive. According to the Ghana Health Service, complications from pregnancy and childbirth remain the leading cause of death among adolescent girls in the country.

Even those who survive face a lifetime of trauma. Their children, too, are at risk — often born malnourished and deprived of adequate care. A child raising another child is a heartbreaking reality that repeats itself across rural Ghana.

The Emotional and Psychological Toll

The scars of child marriage are not only physical but deeply emotional. The abrupt transition from childhood to wifehood is traumatic. Many girls are married to men far older than them, often abusive, leaving them isolated and voiceless.

Imagine a young girl, barely in her teens, waking up each day beside a man she does not love, burdened by the responsibilities of a wife and mother. She lives in fear — of violence, of failure, of never escaping. Her peers are in school, laughing, learning, dreaming — while she cooks, cleans, and cries in silence.

The psychological toll is immense. Many child brides suffer from depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Some attempt to escape; others resort to self-harm. A few, tragically, take their own lives. These girls are not statistics — they are lives lost to neglect, culture, and silence.

Cultural and Legal Paradoxes

Child marriage in Ghana is rooted in poverty, entrenched traditions, and lack of education. In some communities, girls are viewed as economic assets — a source of dowry or a means to uphold family honor. Families justify the practice by claiming it protects girls from promiscuity or guarantees their future security. But these justifications collapse under the weight of the suffering they cause.

Ghana’s Children’s Act of 1998 sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 — the threshold of adulthood. Yet, this law is riddled with loopholes. In many cases, parental consent is used to justify child marriage, effectively legalizing exploitation under the guise of tradition or poverty.

At 18, many individuals are still in secondary school, financially dependent, and emotionally unprepared for marriage. The law, while well-intentioned, fails to recognize the deeper realities of readiness and maturity. The cost of these legal gaps is measured in lost childhoods, truncated education, and lifelong trauma.

Raising the Bar

It is time for Ghana to raise the minimum legal age for marriage to at least 24 years — not merely as a symbolic gesture, but as a practical safeguard. This change would allow young people the time to complete their education, gain emotional maturity, and develop the life experience necessary for a stable and healthy marriage.

Marriage demands emotional intelligence, resilience, and understanding — qualities that even adults in their 30s and 40s continue to develop. If grown adults still struggle with the complexities of marriage, how can we justify thrusting 18-year-olds, or worse, children, into this lifelong responsibility?

How many more girls must lose their futures before we admit that our system is failing them? How much longer will we allow the selfish desires of men and the weight of adult responsibilities to rest on the fragile shoulders of children?

A Call to Conscience

Child marriage is not just a violation of the law — it is a violation of human dignity. It robs girls of their right to dream, to grow, and to thrive. By confronting the cultural, economic, and legal forces that sustain it, and by raising the legal marriage age, Ghana can take a bold step toward ending this injustice once and for all.

Marriage is not a child’s responsibility!

It is time we stop pretending otherwise!

By: Beatrice Boakye Boateng

Assistant Public Relations Officer

Public Affairs Unit

Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection

ISD Staff boaboabeat@yahoo.com