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Sexual demands in exchange for support —plight of adolescent girls
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Some girls in three regions have lamented over the demand for sex by men in exchange for help, a situation that often results in teenage pregnancies.
The concern was raised during a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led consultations with more than 200 adolescents out of which 80 per cent were girls.
The consultations, done in partnership with government, created safe spaces for girls between the ages of 10 and 19 to share their challenges and aspirations, and proposed solutions.
Participants were drawn from Wa, Kumasi and Tema, covering the Upper West, Ashanti and Greater Accra regions.
Seventeen-year-old Faustina, one of the participants, spoke about the harsh reality many girls face.
“The men who support us often demand sex in return, which leads to pregnancies. Some of us are willing to work, but there are very few opportunities available. If we had access to jobs, we would gladly take them so that we can move away from this harmful lifestyle,” she revealed.
The initiative forms part of Ghana’s national priorities for adolescent girls’ well-being and aligns with the broader West and Central Africa agenda to secure a brighter future for girls.
UNICEF Ghana’s Adolescent and Gender Lead, Irene Tumwebaze, said the perspectives shared will guide programmes in health, education, child protection, climate resilience, digital inclusion, mental health, and life skills.
“When we listen to adolescent girls and boys, we gain an unfiltered understanding of their realities and aspirations,” she explained. “These consultations are not just about listening; they are about action. The voices of adolescents, particularly girls, will help shape policies and programmes that invest in their potential, advance gender equality, and ensure a brighter future for all,” she added.
She asserted that the engagements highlighted the urgent need to place adolescent girls at the centre of decision-making processes, ensuring their voices and leadership influence policies that directly affect their lives.
UNICEF and its partners, Madam Tumwebaze emphasised, have pledged to continue translating these insights into concrete action by strengthening programmes that empower adolescent girls and provide them with the opportunities needed to thrive.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
The Director of Legal Affairs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gary Nimako Marfo, has questioned who will bear the cost of conducting presidential and parliamentary primaries following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the party’s delegate system.
Speaking to journalists, Mr. Nimako Marfo said he would not immediately comment on the ruling, adding that he wanted to wait for the full details before sharing his views.
“I don’t want to comment on it now. Let’s wait,” he said.
When asked about the Supreme Court’s decision that all members in good standing should vote in party elections, he shifted attention to the financial implications of implementing the ruling.
According to him, allowing all members in good standing to vote would increase the cost of organising internal party elections.
He questioned who would pay for the expanded electoral process.
“Who is going to pay for the cost of the elections?” he asked.
When a journalist suggested that political parties would bear the cost, Mr. Nimako Marfo replied, “Let’s wait and see.”
The comments come after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties should allow all members in good standing to vote in their internal elections, a decision that is expected to expand participation but also increase the financial and logistical demands of organising presidential and parliamentary primaries.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Supreme Court of Ghana has declared the delegate system used by political parties to elect presidential and parliamentary candidates unconstitutional.
In a 5-2 majority decision delivered, the Court ruled that the long-standing system violates democratic principles and ordered all political parties to ensure every registered, card-bearing member participates in presidential and parliamentary primaries.
The ruling brings to an end decades of internal party elections conducted by a limited number of delegates.
The suit was filed by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng; veteran politician Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe; and former Minister for Lands and Forestry, Dr. Christine Amoako-Nuamah.
The plaintiffs argued that the delegate system created inequality among party members by granting voting rights to a privileged minority while excluding ordinary members in good standing.
They told the Court that restricting voting rights to delegates was inconsistent with the democratic principles enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.
The Attorney-General’s Department supported the suit and urged the Court to adopt a “one member, one vote” approach.
In its submission, the State argued that political parties perform an important public function in Ghana’s democratic framework and that their internal electoral processes must reflect constitutional values of equality, participation and universal suffrage.
The Attorney-General further submitted that expanding voting rights to all registered members would strengthen accountability and deepen internal democracy within political parties.
The judgment means that going forward, presidential and parliamentary candidates will be selected by all registered members of a political party, instead of by delegates alone.
Political parties are expected to review their constitutions and structures to comply with the Court’s directive ahead of the 2028 general elections.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
