A 15-year-old student from Walewale Girls Model School and Speaker of the West Mamprusi Municipal Children’s Parliament in the North East Region, Beatrice Laari Dammigu, has made a passionate appeal for stronger national action to end child marriage and improve access to education for girls in Ghana.
She made the call when she visited the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment on Thursday, October 16, 2025, as part of activities marking the International Day of the Girl Child, organized by Plan International Ghana.
During the visit, Beatrice symbolically took over the office of the sector minister, George Opare Addo, to highlight key issues affecting girls and young people.
Miss Dammigu used the platform to address what she described as a global crisis and local reality, child marriage. Citing findings from a Plan International report titled “Let Me Be a Child, Not a Wife,” she revealed that 12 million girls are married before their 18th birthday every year, amounting to one girl every three seconds.
“Child marriage robs girls of their childhood, their rights, and their future. It is a practice that must not be tolerated, encouraged, or ignored,” she emphasized.
Beyond child marriage, Miss Dammigu raised concern about drug abuse and education inequality, noting that these issues are interconnected and often lead to school dropouts among young people. She appealed to the ministry and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to curb these social challenges.
She also made a passionate plea for improved educational infrastructure in her community.
“Walewale Girls’ Model JHS, the only girls’ school in our municipality, currently operates from a primary school compound with limited facilities. We need a proper school building and a library to ensure more girls can access quality education and thrive,” she said.
She also proposed a courtesy call on President John Dramani Mahama by children parliamentarians to discuss policies on youth and child protection.
She expressed gratitude to Plan International Ghana and its Country Director, Mr. Constant Tchona, for empowering children especially girls to speak up for their rights and lead change in their communities.
“Together, let us continue to create an enabling environment for all children to live, learn, and lead. Let us stand together and boldly say: No to child marriage. No to injustice. No to inequality. Yes to education, empowerment, and girls’ leadership,” she stated.
