Source: GhanaWeb
The Executive Director of the Obaapa Development Foundation, Nanahemaa Adjoa Awindor, is pushing for stricter punishment of males who impregnate teenage girls.

According to her, promoting a campaign that ensures that males who impregnate teenage girls are equally made to bear the brunt of their actions to serve as a deterrent.

She was speaking at a Community Entry Durbar of the '1000 Teenage Mothers Back To School Project' (TMBTSP) at Agogo. The durbar, which sought to find a fitting strategy for the implementation of the project (TMBTSP), brought together stakeholders and partners, including the Agogo Hemaa, Nana Afrakomaah Serwah Kusi Aboadum; the Ghana Education Service, Obaapa Development Foundation, World Vision, CAMFED and the Swiss Embassy.

Statistics

Statistics from the Ghana Health Service (GHS, 2012) shows that 75,000 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 got pregnant in 2011.

Nanahemaa Adjoa Awindor stressed that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy was disturbing and wondered why teenage girls were made to drop out of school while their partners were left to continue with their education, a situation she said must not be encouraged.

According to the Executive Director of the Obaapa Development Foundation, girls dropping out of school affects the empowerment of women. She stressed that education of females had an additional significance for the development of nations.

She intimated that when the male partners were also made to stay at home, just like the teenage mothers that would serve as a deterrent to teenagers who indulged in early sex.

Nanahemaa Adjoa Awindor tasked family members and the community to give the necessary support, guidance and counselling to teenagers who find themselves in such situation.

Stay away from early sex

The Asante Akyem North District Director of Education, Mr Edward Adams, said teenage pregnancy was one of the main factors hampering girl-child education in the district. He has, therefore, lauded the Obaapa Development Foundation for the initiative.

He also indicated that many pupils in the area dropped out of school because of eye sight and hearing problems and went on to appeal for medical assistance for such pupils.

The Agogohemaa, Nana Afrakomaah Serwah Kusi Aboadum, for her part, admonished teenagers to stay away from early sex and rather engage in healthy habits.

The queen also encouraged teenage mothers to take up the opportunity and enrol on the 1000 Teenage Mother Back to School Project and insisted that early pregnancy did not mean an end to future aspirations.

The Swiss Ambassador, Mr Gerhard Brugger, proposed that the Obaapa Development Foundation should expand its operations to cater for the education of more teenage mothers who had dropped out of school as a result of early pregnancy.

He indicated that although Switzerland lacked natural resources, it had become one of the successful nations because it invested heavily in education. He thus urged the girls to strive to complete thier education despite the odds.

• Ghana