In a just concluded research on Child Marriage in Sierra Leone conducted by National Commission for Children (NCC), it is clear that “the current anomalies in the educational system to some extent contribute to the prevalence of Child Marriage”.
The findings of the research was demystified during a two day media orientation and material development for the End Child Marriage Sierra Leone Chapter Launch with the theme, “End Child Marriage for Sustainable Development” organised by Ministry of Social Welfare Gender and Children’s Affairs, and the Office of the First Lady in collaboration with Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WIMSAL).
The media orientation which was well attended by female journalist all over the country started on the 9th and end on the 10th August at the Harry Yansaneh Hall, Sierra Leone Association of Journalist Secretariat, Campbell Street.
While encouraging participant to be passionate in handling issues of children, the president of WIMSAL, Tiana Alpha said the training is targeting women’s right promoters presenters from Community Radio Stations right across the four regions, print journalists, and television presenters so that they can develop harmonized and coordinated massages that is geared towards ending child marriage in Sierra Leone.
She disclosed that the training precedes the grand launching of the “End Child Marriage Sierra Leone Chapter” which will take place on the 17th August, 2016 adding that the harmonized massages from the different media houses will begin to speak to the issues of ending child marriage and preparing the minds of perpetrators to deviate from the act.
Delivering the findings on the research, the Communication Officer of the National Commission for Children, Addie Valcarcel said they decided to conduct the research because they want to have first-hand information on the cases and prevalence of child marriage within various distict.
She said the findings were diversified and grouped in to seven categories including educational system, law enforcement, poor parenting, traditional practices and religious belief among others.
On the issues of education, madam Valcarcel said the education including unavailability of educational opportunities and the lack of trained and qualified teachers (for instance-Pujehun District (12 chiefdoms) depicts a very small number of qualified teachers-263 qualified teachers as compared to 877 unqualified teachers in 316 schools.
She added that 92 percent of these schools are in the primary level, seven percent junior and only two percent in senior secondary school levels disclosing that these anomalies to some extent contribute to the prevalence of child Marriage.
On poor parenting, Communication Officer said poor supervision, minimal support towards the welfare of their children and the misconception of child right laws adding that it was similar, noticed that there is great shift in parental responsibilities at puberty.
Among all of the issues she raised that are responsible for child marriage, questions were posed as to how they are prepared to address some of the issues so that child marriage will be a thing of the past.
Responding, Madam Valcarcel said that was why they have engaged the media to provide spot messages, engage in focus group discussion, doing discussion programmes, writing articles, conducting vox pop on the challenges in ending child marriage and the success for the nation and families when children are allowed to go to school and stay in school.
As one of the objective of the orientation, participants were able to draft radio programmes, television programmes, newspaper stories and some sport massages including real men stand up against child marriage, let girls be girls and not wives! End child marriage, school fees not bride price, let’s stop teenage pregnancy, child marriage hinders national progress join the fight and let’s end child marriage, stop exchanging our future for money among others in different languages.
By Emmanuella Kallon
Friday August 12, 2016
ADVERTISEMENT