Education think tank, Africa Education Watch is calling for a review of the allocation of funds for the domestic violence (DV) fund in the 2023 budget.
It argued that such a move is necessary for effectively tackling child marriages and teenage pregnancies which disrupt girl child education in the long run.
The think tank also intimated that the underfunding of the domestic violence division in most institutions across the country is worrying and impedes the educational and economic development of young women.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement discussion on the effects of child marriage on girl child education, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare disclosed that his outfit was engaging Parliament and other stakeholders to increase the cash allocated for the Domestic Violence fund.
“We’ve already started our engagement with Parliament and appropriation is continuing till next week, and we have indicated to Parliament that the reduction in the [Domestic Violence] DV allocation from GH¢2 million this year to GH¢1 million next year which means less than GH¢500,000 will arrive, is unacceptable.”
Mr. Asare also revealed that they were working with other stakeholders to ensure the safety and development of young women in the shortest possible time.
“We needed this analysis to have engagement with Parliament, policymakers, and heads of institutions, to see how in the short-term, a lot more things can be catalysed in favour of supporting social protection. More specifically, child marriage and within the context of domestic violence.”
