in Ghana, a 63-year-old priest married a 12-year-old (VIDEO)

In Ghana, a 63-year-old priest married a 12-year-old girl, sparking public debate regarding the minimum age for marriage.

The ceremony took place in the city of Nungua. During the ceremony, women speaking the local Ga language told the girl to dress provocatively for her husband and wear gifted perfume. Nuumo Borketi Laveh Tsuru XXXIII chose a girl named Naa Okromo as his wife when she was only 6 years old.

The Ghanaian authorities have not yet responded to this marriage. Local community leaders say people simply do not understand their customs and traditions.

The minimum age for marriage in Ghana is 18 years, and although the incidence of child marriage in the country is declining, it continues to occur in some areas and communities.

According to UNICEF, there are currently more than 2 million child brides in Ghana. According to the NGO Girls Not Brides, 5% of Ghanaian girls are married before the age of 15.

Women in Ghana are one of the most vulnerable groups to HIV. The prevalence of this virus among women 15–49 years of age is almost twice as high as that for men of the same age (2.0% and 1.3%). Widows are one of the poorest categories of women in Ghana. This is due to the deprivation of rights and denial of justice due to discriminatory customs, traditions and religious rules. Legislation in the country often does not take into account their rights. Their land and property are often taken away from them, and they are evicted from their homes following the death of their spouse. For HIV-positive widows, the situation is even worse due to bullying and discrimination.