Working with Married Girls: the Experiences of Ghanaian Professionals on the Causes, Impact, and Interventions Pertaining to Child Marriage

The prevalence of child marriage in Ghana has declined over the past decade. This may be due to the efforts of organizations working to curb the practice. This paper presents the perceptions of nine staff of governmental and non-governmental organizations in the Northern Region of Ghana who work to prevent and reduce the impact of child marriage in practicing communities. Participants were purposively and conveniently sampled and engaged in a focus group discussion on their perceptions of child marriage and experiences in working with married girls. Analysis of data revealed that child marriage was perceived to be caused by lack of parental control, in addition to other child-driven and sociocultural factors. Findings also indicated that interventions were being implemented at the primary and secondary intervention levels. The challenges that prevent the success of those interventions and recommendations for improving the intervention for the community and affected girls are discussed.