Reducing Teenage Pregnancy in Ghana Through the “Empowermom” Project: One Community at a Time

Abstract

The EmPowerMom project is a two-year pilot initiative designed to address the pressing issue of teenage pregnancy and the socioeconomic marginalization of adolescent mothers in the Savannah Region of Ghana. Rooted in a rights-based and gender-responsive approach, the project seeks to reduce teenage pregnancies by empowering young mothers with education, vocational skills, access to reproductive health services, and strong community support systems.

Teenage pregnancy in Ghana remains a critical barrier to girls' development, often leading to school dropout, economic dependency, and persistent cycles of poverty. EmPowerMom tackles these challenges by promoting flexible education reintegration pathways, comprehensive sexuality education, and entrepreneurship development. Through targeted vocational training (tailoring, baking, digital literacy), financial literacy, and the distribution of micro-grants, the project enhances economic independence among adolescent mothers. Simultaneously, it strengthens access to sexual and reproductive health services and engages key community actors—including young men, parents, traditional and religious leaders to challenge harmful norms and foster an inclusive support system.

The pilot will be implemented in select districts over 24 months, with clearly defined outputs, outcomes, and indicators monitored through a robust M&E framework. The project’s ultimate goal is to restore dignity, opportunity, and agency to adolescent mothers while laying the foundation for scalable and sustainable community-based solutions to teenage pregnancy across Ghana. The learnings and impact of the pilot will inform national advocacy and policy engagement aimed at broader systemic change.