From Tradition to Transformation: Strengthening the Safety Net for Ghana’s Girls

At the Municipal Assembly in Gushiegu, in northern Ghana, the harmattan is just beginning. The air is dry, and the wind moves restlessly across the compound under a sharp, unrelenting sun.

A team from UNICEF is here to monitor progress under the Power Her Potential Programme. Today, adolescent girls are undergoing physical validation and verification to fully enroll in the initiative, a critical step toward economic empowerment and productive inclusion.

The grounds are bustling. Girls arrive in groups; some are accompanied by friends, others by brothers, parents, or guardians. Some arrive with their husbands. The community is present, and the scene quietly signals a shift in the local atmosphere.

A Closer Look

As we moved through the crowd, listening to the girls navigate the process, we noticed a young couple approaching from a distance. From afar, it looked almost idyllic, a young family walking side by side, the woman cradling a baby in her arms.

But as they drew closer, the perspective shifted. They looked remarkably young.

We invited them to sit. "What are your names?"

The young man responded with quiet confidence. "Adu Iddrisu."

"And your wife?"

"She is Somaya Adu."

Neither was certain of their exact age, so we verified their details using their Ghana Cards. Iddrisu is 22. Somaya is 20. When asked how long they had been married, Iddrisu answered, "Seven years."

The Calculation of a Life

The math settled heavily between us: Somaya was married at thirteen. We kept our expressions steady and gently asked how the marriage came about.

"It was customary," Iddrisu explained. "My father spoke to her father. They agreed. My family promised a herd of cows, and the marriage was sealed."

Seven years later, they have two children. Their eldest is four, and the baby Somaya cradled so carefully is just seven months old. Neither Somaya nor Iddrisu has ever stepped inside a classroom.

Iddrisu works as a cattle farmer, while Somaya manages the home. She is part of the Fulani community, a traditionally pastoralist community where cattle define both livelihood and identity. While they are fluent in Dagbani, the dominant local language, they do not speak English. A colleague from the Ghana Health Service stepped in to help with the translation.

Throughout the conversation, Somaya was quiet, smiling occasionally but letting Iddrisu speak for both of them—until we asked about her future.

A New Aspiration

Somaya heard about the programme from a midwife who assisted her during the birth of her second child. It was that small spark of encouragement that brought her to the assembly grounds today.

When asked what she would like to do, she answered softly through the translator: She wants to rear guinea fowl.

It is a choice rooted in her reality. It is common in her community, manageable, and, most importantly, generates an income she can call her own. In that moment, her story became about more than just her circumstances; it became about her agency.

Signs of a Shift

Beyond the history of their early marriage, there is a visible shift in Adu. Here is a young man standing beside his wife, supporting her pursuit of economic independence. It reflects a community that, while still deeply rooted in tradition, is becoming increasingly open to the inclusion of women in the local economy.

Adu says they simply want a better life than the one they inherited. They want to provide more for their children and contribute to their society.

There is still a long road ahead. But change often begins with a single, practical dream—like a young mother deciding to raise guinea fowl to secure her family's future. Under the dry northern sky of Gushiegu, this is more than a registration process. With continued advocacy and inclusion, this change is quietly preparing to take flight.

With the generous support of the Eleva Foundation, UNICEF is expanding the "Power Her Potential" programme to 20 new districts across Ghana, reaching thousands of out-of-school adolescent girls and young mothers with the tools they need for financial independence and a brighter future.