Child Protection Issues Should be a Priority on Government Agenda NGOs

A non-Governmental Organization calling its self-Christian Children’s fund of Canada and the christen council of Ghana with a collaborative effort from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection have ask government to make child protection issues be a priority on government agenda.

This according to the organization will help government to receive the needed resources allocation to facilitate effective implementation of policies and strategies.

The migration of children below 15 years, especially the girl child from mostly the 3 region of the North and the southern parts to selected market centers in the cities as KAYAYEI or ahead porters is criminal, illegal, and against the basic human right of the child.

Country director of Christian children’s fund of Canada Gifty Akosua Baka said this at a two day stakeholder’s conference in Accra, stating that the issue of KAYAYEI needs a holistic national response with dedicated debates in the legislature.

With the issues enumerated the organization recommend an enforcement of the children’s Act in relation to head porting so that children under the age of 15 years will be in the classroom instead of being on the streets since research has shown that children as young as 6 years MOWAC-2007) are engaged in head porting.

Again a national database must be developed on Kayayei to identify their actual number, age and other information.

She emphasized that regulatory authorities such as the district assemblies, the police service and the department of social welfare should act effectively and timely as mandated by the children’s acts to protect children.

Gifty Akosua requited that the police, city guards and social welfare officers should arrest and prosecute any person who engages the services of any child below the age 15 years as a kakyayei.

In the medium, the organization encourages government to strengthen Domestic Violence and victims support unit (DOVVSU) to prosecute parents who consistently send their wards to engage in Kayayei.

Again the ministry gender, children and social protection should quickly engage in an inter-sectorial discussions with the ministry of employment and labour relation, ministry of trade , local government and rural development, education, CSOs among among other to consider tackling the problem from the root causes.

She said Government should encourage industries to set up in the Northern sector of the country to create jobs. In addition she said effort should be made by government to develop the northern sector of the country with the creation of dams and the provision of farm inputs for their farms.

By Anita Frimpong


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