TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN NAVRONGO LEAD BOLD COMMITMENT TO END CHILD MARRIAGE IN GHANA
‘Let us protect our daughters from early marriage and secure a good future for Navrongo says Navro Pio
Traditional leaders in Navrongo, in Ghana’s Northern Region, have declared child marriage a taboo within the Kassena-Nankana land. This solemn decree represents a profound cultural and moral commitment to protect girls and secure their futures.
Human behaviour is not always a choice. Often it is automatic and unintentional, and rooted in the belief that others expect us to behave in a certain way, particularly when upholding traditions and culture. It is in this vein that UNFPA in partnership with Obaapa development Foundation and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs initiated “Ending Child Marriage, One Paramountcy at a Time.” to tackle the issue of child marriage in Ghana.
The Navorongo declaration was made at a durbar organised by the Paramount Chief of Navorongo Traditional area, Pe Asagpaare Aneakwoa Balinia, with Chiefs, queen mothers, elders, women’s groups, religious leaders, young people, government representatives, and civil society organisations in attendance to affirm that no girl should have her life curtailed by early marriage.
Ghana has laws prohibiting marriage before 18 years. However, child marriage remains an unrelenting challenge in Ghana, undermining health, education, and opportunities for many girls. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, nearly one in five young women aged 20–24 was married before 18 as of 2018, with five percent married before 15. While rates have declined over the past three decades, still the practice continues to deny girls their rights, hold back progress, and perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality. Ending it requires urgent collective action.
UNFPA Country Representative Dr. Wilfred Ochan commended the Navrongo Paramountcy for its bold leadership. “You are custodians of culture and guardians of community life. When chiefs and queen mothers speak and act for girls, communities move. Your leadership turns protective intention into protective practice,” he said. He further encouraged leaders to implement the action plans developed during preparatory workshops and to spread the message across every household and gathering place.
The declaration followed two days of intensive engagement with chiefs and queen mothers on the legal, health, and social dimensions of child marriage. Equipped with knowledge and supported by partners, they committed to championing cultural change and protecting girls from harmful practices.
In his pledge, Pe Asagpaare Aneakwoa Balinia Adda II, Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, stated: “We should not relent in our efforts to cause the change society has been yearning for. Let us protect our daughters from early marriage and secure a good future for Navrongo, the Upper East Region, and Ghana as a whole.” He emphasised collective responsibility and sealed the vow by naming child marriage a taboo, a culturally binding decree carrying deep significance and accountability.
Navrongo has now joined seven other paramountcies in openly opposing child marriage. Collectively, they are creating a movement of traditional leaders who are aligning cultural authority with human rights and sending a clear message that communities will no longer condone actions that harm girls.
This commitment lays the foundation for tangible protection measures, including community surveillance groups to monitor and report cases, stronger referral procedures to services, and expanded community awareness to empower girls and their families. Paramountcy has transformed tradition into an instrument of change, turning words into action by integrating protection into cultural systems.
For UNFPA and partners, this achievement demonstrates the power of traditional leaders as agents of change. Ending child marriage goes beyond policies and statistics. It demands leadership within communities, the courage to confront harmful traditions, and the determination to uphold the rights of every girl.
The declaration is a pledge to every girl that her education will not be cut short, her aspirations will be nurtured, and her future will be hers to shape.
