The Department of Gender in the Central Region has cautioned to arrest and persecute Students of the University of Cape Coast who impregnate teenage girls.
The Regional Director of the Department of Gender in the Central Region, Thywill Eyram Kpeh, explained that actions taken by the department will assist in reducing cases of teenage pregnancies in the region, especially within the University community.
He advised parents and Community leaders to report such incidents to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) to arrest and persecute the culprits.
“We also need the teenage girls to voice out whiles that student is on campus before that student leaves, the burden of poverty, the burden of catering for that child will become your headache”.
This warning came after the National Service Personnel Association’s survey in the Central Region, which concluded that some male students of UCC were engaging young girls in the University community in “sex for money” activities.
This practice has contributed to the rise in teenage pregnancy and child prostitution in Cape Coast and its nearby communities. Several children are school dropouts due to extreme poverty.
In a house-to-house interaction with some youth by personnel of NASPA to ascertain why the children engage in prostitution and the measures to curb the act, some teenagers located in Apewosika and Amamoma blamed the male students of UCC for going round and sleeping with girls in the community in exchange for money, hence the rampant teenage pregnancy and prostitution in the area
About 5,106 teenage pregnancies were recorded in the Central Region between July and December 2016.
Out of this, 430 were aged between 13 and 15, while the remaining 4,682 pregnancies were recorded among 16 and 19.
By: Erica
AYALOBUZZ 