The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with UNICEF Ghana and UNFPA Ghana, organized a media engagement session on Friday, January 17, 2025, at the Sunlodge Hotel in Accra to revamp its Child Marriage Information Portal (CMIP).
The portal, first launched in September 2021, is a digital platform designed to combat child marriage by providing accessible and reliable information.
In her opening remarks, Hajia Saphia Tamimu, Head of the Child Marriage Unit at MoGCSP, emphasized the critical role of the media in creating visibility for the portal.
“The ministry seeks to collaborate with the media to ensure the portal is not only vibrant but also impactful,” she stated.
Hajia Tamimu also highlighted the need for consistent updates to keep the portal relevant in addressing current issues related to child marriage.
According to her, the agenda to eliminate child marriage by 2030 remains on course, with the ministry actively involving traditional, Christian, and Islamic leaders in the fight.
She noted that the portal has recently undergone significant improvements, including the renewal of its security certificate to enhance system reliability and data security.
“It now features updated resources such as the National Operational Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (2023-2024), the Gender-Transformative Accelerator Country Report, and reports on the impact of COVID-19 on child marriage.” She added
Despite these advancements, Hajia Tamimu noted the portal’s limited vibrancy due to a lack of content submissions from stakeholders and partners.
She urged these groups to contribute regularly to ensure the portal achieves its objective of supporting the elimination of child marriage.
Speaking on the technical aspects of the portal, Mr. Senanu Agboza, a consultant, explained that the platform serves as a centralized database for child marriage-related information in Ghana.
“It is part of the Domestic Violence Secretariat’s commitment to providing a one-stop-shop for reliable and accessible data on child marriage and related issues,” he said.
The portal includes a “Take Action” feature that allows individuals to report cases of child marriage for immediate intervention by the unit.
Dr. Samson Appiah, Chairperson of the portal’s Editorial Team, addressed the media on the ethical guidelines followed in managing content for the platform.
“We prioritize brevity, relevance, accuracy, and conciseness to ensure the content remains rich and informative,” he explained.
Dr. Appiah also encouraged media personnel to actively contribute stories and reports to enrich the portal’s database.
The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to utilize the portal as a critical tool in the nationwide effort to eliminate child marriage by 2030.
Madam Tamimu expressed gratitude to development partners for their continued collaboration in this important cause.
