Broadcaster and Historian Ewulu Nii Adjei Klu, has shed light on the cultural norms surrounding marriage in the Ga community with regard to the alleged marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a 63-year-old Wulomo in Nungua.
The issue has drawn attention from both cultural commentators and child rights activists, raising concerns about the cultural practices and the welfare of minors.
According to him, giving out minors for marriage is not part of Ga culture.
“In our Ga culture, normally we don’t marry children underage,” he explained. “If you are a child underage, you are supposed to go through initiation rites. You go through puberty rites, which are an initiation to adulthood, before being given into marriage.”
He said in an interview with Johnnie Hughes and Helen Appiah-Ampofo on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show on April 2.
Klu further elaborated on the significance of the initiation rites, emphasizing the spiritual consequences of engaging in sexual activity before completing the rites.
He stated, “During the rite, the female child is to sit on a particular stone. If you have had an affair with a man before sitting on that stone, curses may come upon you, calamities may befall the family, and even death may result. So, children take good care of themselves before that initiation rite.”
Highlighting the traditional practices surrounding the Wulomo’s marriage, Klu emphasized that child marriage is not permitted in Ga culture. “Marriage itself passes through seven stages,” he said. “Even the position of a stool wife, which is not ceremonial, is not meant for minors. Stool wives play significant roles in the community, including mentoring young women and acting as mediators in marital issues.”
The Executive Director of Child Rights International Bright Appiah also expressed concerns over the alleged marriage. While acknowledging the importance of cultural practices.
Appiah raised doubts about the true nature of the ceremony. “The environment itself where they conducted it clearly shows that it’s a marriage,” he stated. “When they shifted the narrative to preparing the child for a duty, they failed to provide satisfactory explanations,” he added.
Appiah underscored the need for transparency and safeguarding the welfare of minors. “Though they claim it is not a marriage involving sexual activity, serving the stool ultimately means serving a person,” he remarked. “We must ensure that cultural practices do not compromise the rights and well-being of children.”
By Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi.