This Saturday, March 30, 2024, the marriage of an influential priest to a 12-year-old child from an indigenous community of Nungua sparked indignation in Ghana.
Several videos and photos of the event were widely relayed on social networks during the weekend and sparked a real outcry in the country.
The customary marriage took place between the high religious dignitary, Nuumo Borketey Laweh Tsuru XXXIII and a child aged barely 12 years old. Several dozen members of the Nungua indigenous community were present.
A second ceremony planned
In some videos, we can also hear women from the community advising the child to dress seductively and to wear perfume for her husband in order to “strengthen your sexual attractiveness to him“.
The footage sparked outrage, with some netizens urging the national police and the Ministry of Child Protection to intervene. Some even called for “the arrest of all those who supported this marriage“.
The young girl must also be present during a second customary ceremony supposed to “purify her in preparation for her new role as wife of the high priest. This ceremony will also prepare her to take on marital responsibilities such as childbearing“, according to the channel Ablade TV.
19% of Ghanaian women marry before the age of 18
The loan for his part “fully approved and justified the union, although he acknowledged that his attention had been attracted by the age of the young bride“, reports the local channel.
Faced with widespread criticism, community leaders said people did not understand their customs or tradition.
As in France, the legal minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18 years. If customary marriages are recognized by the country, the age of the persons concerned must not be below 18 years. According to the NGO “Girls Not Brides”, 19% of girls in the country marry before reaching 18 and 5% marry before their 15th birthday.
