Statistics available to Social Mobilization Partners against Child Labour (SOMOPAC) in the Northern Region indicates that, about 168 girls and boys are engaged in work that deprives them of quality education, health and development as at 2012.
This, according to SOMOPAC, is alarming and needs to be changed. In spite of significant progress chalked in the fight against child labour, the numbers decreased from 245 million in 2004 to 168 million in 2012.
Child labour is an abuse of the fundamental human rights of children which undermines international labour stands which is an affront to the socio-economic development of local communities and the whole nation.
Sub-saharan Africa still has the highest incidence, with more than 21% of children between 5-17 years affected by the menace. Ghana’s last national child-labour survey in 2013 indicates that more than one million children were affected.
This, SOMOPAC said, is a serious breach of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human rights of children in Ghana. ”This is unacceptable,” SOMOPAC added. It is against this backdrop that the Ghana Journalists’ Association (GJA) has joined the fight against child labour in the country.
Addressing journalists at the regional child labour forum in Tamale, the GJA President who is also the regional coordinator of SOMOPAC, Caesar Abagali, appealed to parents to be more responsible in the upkeep of their children.
Explaining the objectives of the forum to journalists, Mr Abagali said the purpose is to contribute to the elimination of child labour in Ghana by supporting the media to enhance social mobilization and awareness rising.
Since the establishment of SOMOPAC networks about 200 journalists and other media practitioners on child labour have been disseminating National Plan Action (NPA) to journalists across the country. SOMOPAC coordinator said the forum is timely in mobilizing media to directly engage duty-bearers to enhance national effort towards elimination of child labour.
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