The Women group expressed the worry as part of this year’s International Women Day celebration organised in the Navrongo under theme,” Accelerate Action for gender equality.”

The event, organised by the Our Lady of Mercy Community Services (OLAM), a gender focused NGO, with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and German Embassy of Ghana attracted a lot of stakeholders.

Mrs Florence Bobi, the Chairperson of the Group, who expressed the worry on behalf of the group, explained that currently what was happening was that some parents in the remote parts of the region were transporting their daughters to the neigbouring countries of Burkina Faso to undergo the FGM exercise.

She explained that most of the parents believed that the only way they could curtail the sexual drive of their daughters and curb teenage pregnancies was to have them go through FGM hence, the resurface of the canker.

Mrs Bobi explained that to overcome the challenge, there was the need for the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to empower grassroots organisations to embark upon sensitisation programmes in such communities to help address the problem.

Mrs Matilda Yelbaya, a member of the group and a retired nurse on her part, underscored the need for the Ministry to organize multisectoral stakeholder engagements involving traditional rulers, opinion leaders, parents, and the perpetrators of FGM and to provide the perpetrators alternative livelihoods.

Mrs Anastasia Musah, another member of the group observed that lately majority of men were ignoring their parental responsibilities, leaving the burden on only the woman who, she stressed, could not cater for all the needs of the girl-child.

“As a result of this many of our daughters fall into the prey of men who exploit them and make them pregnant and urged men to learn to shoulder their parental responsibilities, she stressed.

Emmanuel Atiiga, the Executive Director of OLAM, commended the Kaana Manga Women Association for advocating against negative cultural practices that impede the growth of women and girls.

He cited their radio programmes on curbing negative cultural practices and pledged that his outfit would continue to support them the programme.