First Lady Margaret Kenyatta was among dignitaries treated to a special dinner Wednesday night to launch Ghana's national campaign to end child marriages.
The dinner hosted by Ghana's First Lady Nana Mahama was held at the country's old State House in honor of all African First Ladies attending the 7th conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSRH).
Nana said child marriages complicates the health of the victims, kills dreams, aspirations and human potential besides interrupting the childhood of the girls and perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty.
She said despite many African countries having the minimum age for marriage set at 18 years within their respective legislations, the law to protect minors is hardly enforced.
Nana said in many countries, child marriages are fuelled by poverty and negative cultures that do not place any value on the girl child, except making wealth for the family.
She called on African Heads of State to ensure laws protecting the girl child are enforced.
AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Mustapha Kaloko called on all member states to stop child marriages across Africa.
Kaloko agreed with Ghana President, John Mahama that child marriage was an "outdated and obnoxious" practice in the 21st century.
President Mahama said all girls across Africa must be allowed to reach their full potential and promised to take the campaign very seriously in Ghana.
"Our children should not be forced to marry people they neither know nor love," the President said.
A senior Unicef official for Central and Western Africa said the organization is proud to be associated with the campaign and will galvanize resources and energy to end the practice.
Ghana becomes the 11th member state to launch a national campaign to end child marriages since the AU adopted a continental policy to stop the practice in 2014 in Addis Ababa.
Child marriage occurs when one or both spouses are below the age of 18 years and remains a reality for millions of children - predominantly girls - across the world.
Globally, more than 700 million women living today were married before they celebrated their 18th birthday.
Out of this number, more than one in three women married before they turned 15.
Africa has the second highest rates of child marriages in the world after South Asia, with West and Central Africa being the most affected regions in the continent.