Many adolescent girls in Gha­na are subjected to pres­sures from society, including early marriage, which hinders their growth and well-being and prevents them from reaching their full potential.

These pressures include, but are not limited to, financial, educational, psychological, and emotional challenges.

Adolescence is the period of life between childhood and adult­hood from the ages of 10 to 19. They are an essential component of society and may make a posi­tive impact on their communities and families both now and in the future.

Throughout this period, they grow quickly in terms of their physical, cognitive, and psycho­social development which has an impact on their emotions, thoughts, decision-making, and interactions with the outside environment.

Also, they are vulnerable at this point and need to be protect­ed. In order for adolescent girls to make decisions that will define their adult lives with parental guidance, parents must ensure that their daughters have a solid foundation of knowledge and strong values.

Although adolescents require parental or guardian protection, they also require some degree of independence to make decisions for themselves because they are still young.

Ghana was the first nation in history to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990. While governments have de­veloped and implemented various legal and institutional structures to support the empowerment of adolescent girls through this ratification, more work is needed to ensure that adolescent girls’ rights are fulfilled.

The Spectator is in favour of this since it will enable them to completely confront their own issues and make a positive contri­bution to their own lives.

In order to support Ghana’s overall development toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) asserts that continuous and coordinated investments in the rights and wel­fare of teenage girls are neces­sary.

According to a research titled “Protecting and empowering adolescent girls in Ghana,” many girls between the ages of 10 and 19 – especially the most mar­ginalised and vulnerable – have their possibilities hampered by early pregnancy, violence, and an overwhelming amount of domestic responsibilities.

In order to support Ghana’s overall development toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) asserts that continuous and coordinat­ed investments in the rights and welfare of adolescent girls are necessary.

According to the survey, 10 percent of adolescent girls had sex before turning 15, and ear­ly pregnancies raise the risk of maternal mortality, which is the main cause of death for teenage girls.

Adolescent girls’ education may be interrupted or curtailed by child marriage. For this reason, “it is imperative to prioritise their education, protection, health and well-being to not only fulfil their fundamental rights but also contribute to the peace, security and sustainable development of the entire country.”

Let us protect and empower adolescent girls to fulfil their dreams in life.