CEHDAR express worry over increasing sexting in Ghana

The President of Centre For Health Development and Research (CEHDAR),  Dr Jemima Dennis-Antwi,  has expressed worry about the increasing number of children lured into the act of sexting in the country.

According to her, sexting is becoming common in our society, as  young girls are engaged in photographic literatures on their phones,  by some recalcitrants  men to lure them into the act, which may end up jeopardizing their future through sexual abuse.

Speaking in an interview with thespectatoronline.com yesterday in Accra, Dr Dennis-Antwi said, parents should be concerned about what their children used their phones for, especially those who allowed their children to go on the internet.

CHEDAR is a non-governmental organisation that promote health system  strengthening, and policy advocacy.

Dr Dennis- Antwi added that, sexting makes girls  sexually inclined, and urged  parents  to protect their girls  from these recalcitrants, to prevent them from being sexually abused.

She  appealed stakeholders, especially religious bodies and educational institutions,  to train the youth  to have some sort of positive distraction, that allows girls  seek for their future, to enable them  become better persons whose contributions would impact positively in our society.

Dr Dennis-Antwi called on the  government to strengthen institutions such as the Ghana Police Service , the Judiciary, and other relevant institutions with the needed logistics, for them to provide justice for victims of sexual abuse.

She explained that, if the law does not put measures to protect girls whose future could be compromised through sexting, these children would one day become pregnant, and becomes a burden to society.

” When a girl  have a baby  which is she not ready for,  and the baby cannot get the protection he or  she needs to able the baby  grow into responsible adulthood.It means that we are breeding people who will become a burden to society, and at the same time, the girl may carry a huge physiological  burden which affects their social development and health” Dr Dennis-Antwi said.

She added that, when girl are not ready to have babies, it creates danger for them, as some lose their lives through delivery, and others who cannot afford to take care of themselves financially, also get themselves into indecent lifestyles such as prostitution.

“Institutions such as the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit, the Department of Social Welfare, the Legal Aid Scheme, and others, should also be supported to provide justice for sexually abused girls and women,” she said.

Acorsing to her, “If we fail as stakeholders to protect these children, we are undermining the future of these girls who may someday becomes the future leaders of our country.”

“It is also important to say that, children, especially girls need to focus on their future and education, and desist themselves from any behaviors that may jeopardize their vision,” Dr Dennis-Antwi said.

BY BERNARD BENGHAN.