-The head of Liberia Traditional Council addresses teenage pregnancy
By Mark N. Mengonfia, mmenginfia@gmail.com
In an effort by traditional leaders to help address the issue of teenage pregnancy in Liberia, the Chairman of the Council and Elders of Liberia, Chief Zanzan Kawor has seriously warned traditional chiefs not to go out with underaged girls or those he referred to as ‘small, small girls’.
He was speaking in Monrovia on Thursday at the a two-day dialogue organized by the National Traditional Council of Chief and Elders from the 15 counties of Liberia and partners of the Traditional council.
Chief Kawor said it is time for everyone to put the feet hard on the ground and stand against teenage pregnancy in the Liberian society.
Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child, “a child means every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier. “
In a strong tone, the traditional leader stressed that “No chief should follow small, small girls”.
Liberia being a cultural oriented country with different culture practices, it gives the right to traditional man to marry as many women they want to and most often the last wife of those traditional chiefs are minors with ages ranging from 14, 15,16,17.
This means that with the efforts by the traditional leaders and their partners.
If possible, he said those chiefs and elders who have teen girls in their various villages, towns and districts will have to put them away or their own document will ambush them in the soonest time.
Chief Kawor also emphasized that chiefs should be given the chance to work with parents in helping to address the issue of teen pregnancy by weeding out some of the rights given children by Human Rights Organizations.
He indicated that the issue of rights of children has spoiled everything adding that there is a need to ensure that all hands get on deck help stop in totality.
“When you want to discipline your child, people will come and say, child rights. I think it is time for parent’s rights because many of our children are getting pregnant every time,” the Liberian traditional leader asserted.
According to him, it is a Human Rights violation for children to leave their homes at night when their parents are asleep.
The council of Chiefs and elders signed an agreement to work along with parents to help stop teenage pregnancy.
“In Liberia, signing paper is not hard, making agreement is not hard, but the implementation is what is hard,” the head of the Traditional Council said.
Also speaking during the two-day session was the Assistant Minister of Culture at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Joseph Jangar who cautioned the traditional leaders and Liberians in general to stop giving out their teenage girls for marriage.
“It is not right to leave a girl at ages of 13,14,15,16, and 17 and marry them to a man and when that is done, that child will be ill-treated,” he added.
The Assistant Internal Affairs Minister indicated that once all of the chiefs including the chair of the National Council of chiefs and elders get engage into the fight against teen marriage, massages and weaknesses carried out, Liberians will embrace it and stop will be placed to those acts.
“So we said, parents do not encourage your children to marry soon, when they get marry soon they will not get the kind of education they need and their rights will be look down upon,” Assistant Minister Jangar added.
He promised that the Internal Affairs Ministry of Internal will work with the group to reach their goals.
“We want our young people to go to school and work to take care of us so that when we are old, they can help us,” said the Assistant Internal Affairs Minister for Culture.
For his part, UNFPA country representative, Fenosoa Ratsimanetrimanana promised the UNFPA commitment to support the initiative of the Chief and elders of Liberia.
He said that the UNFPA wants to see a Liberia were every pregnancy is wanted or to have baby by choice; not by chance and that adolescents, especially girls are prepared and make informed decisions regarding their lives.
Mr. Ratsimanetrimanana indicated they want to see a country that every child birth is safe; no community delivery, no delivery behind the house by TBAs, referral of pregnant women ,male involvement to get women to hospital early, men supporting their wives at maternity waiting homes and that every young person’s potential is fulfilled; young people have access to quality education, are empowered with vocational skills if no opportunity to go through the formal education and get job when they graduate from school.
He went on to say “on that note; we (UNFPA) are very pleased to hear that this event will be climaxed with “drafting of a declaration by traditional leaders from the fifteen counties as a commitment in support of teenage pregnancy reduction in Liberia “.We remain committed to support to the end of this road that we all have started.
The recent event was attended by representatives from Ministry of Gender, Ministry of Internal Affairs, the UNFPA, Traditional leaders from the 15 counties. The head of the Liberia Crusaders for peace, Culture Ambassador, Julie Endee said from the beginning this January 2019; she will be launching her musical album in all the 15 counties of Liberia.
The Liberian culture icon said that the launching of her will take a different approach from the usual one.
Ambassador Endee indicated that during her launching programs in those fifteen counties, she has planned to carryout awareness relating to teenage pregnancy.
According to her, they will have football matches with schools; meet with traditional leaders of those counties.
“When my team visits the counties, we have planned to build studios for those who do not have the money to come to Monrovia to have their songs recorded,” according to the Liberian Cultural Ambassador.