Teenage pregnancy in the life and thought of the traditional Akan: Moral perspectives

Abstract

In the past, teenage pregnancy was very rare among the traditional Akan people, currently, however it has reached an alarming stage. The traditional rites that were effective in instituting measures that ensured chastity among the Akan teenagers are now replaced by foreign rites that seem to be less effective. This paper examines teenage pregnancy and its morality among the traditional Akan of Ghana. The paper discovers that the morality of teenage pregnancy among the traditional Akan depends on the circumstances under which the pregnancy occurs. The following among others are identified as the major factors responsible for the upsurge of teenage pregnancy among the Akan: the breakdown of the extended family system and social cohesion; the influx of foreign cultural and religious practices coupled with the wrong mentality that indigenous African cultural practices are uncivil. The paper posits that the bragorɔ and kyiribra rites are important traditional tools which can be refined and used together with other modern methods to remedy the upsurge of teenage pregnancy and restore the moral sanity that existed among the Akan