Kwara, UNFPA mobilise communities against child marriage, teenage pregnancy
The Kwara State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has intensified efforts to end child marriage and teenage pregnancy across communities in the state’s three senatorial districts.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Chief Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade, made the call during sensitisation visits to various communities, stressing the need to protect children’s rights and secure their future.
Represented by the Director of Personnel, Finance and Supply in the ministry, Alhaji Rasheed Ubandawaki, the commissioner described child marriage and teenage pregnancy as harmful practices that deny children access to education and opportunities for a better future.
She noted that the state’s Child Rights Law and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act prohibit the marriage of children below the age of 16 years, warning that parents, guardians or individuals who violate the law risk prosecution and conviction.
Afolashade explained that child marriage and teenage pregnancy often expose young girls to school dropout, limited access to vocational training, abuse, depression, social stigma and serious health complications, including obstetric fistula, eclampsia, preterm births and, in some cases, death.
She commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his commitment to safeguarding the future of children in the state and praised UNFPA for supporting efforts to eliminate harmful practices affecting women and children.
Also speaking, Dr. Fareedah Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of HUWANE Foundation, said child marriage and teenage pregnancy pose significant threats to societal development.
According to her, children who are empowered through education and vocational skills are better positioned to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of their communities.
Traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders who attended the sensitisation programme pledged their support for campaigns aimed at ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy in their respective communities.
