CHRAJ Says Over 1.1 Million Ghanaians Aged 5 to 17 Are Child Labour Victims
The Commission on Human Rights Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has highlighted the prevalence of child labour in Ghana with over one million Ghanaian children being victims.
These children are aged 5 to 17, it said in a statement commemorating this year’s World Day Against Child Labour, under the theme, “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: Let’s speed up efforts.”
In a breakdown, the Commission said approximately 28% of children in this age group are involved in child labour, with 20.7% working under hazardous conditions while an estimated 500,000 working children out of school 68,500 have never attended.
Its data further shows that more than 389,000 have dropped out of school.
Bold Steps
This is despite the bold steps taken by the country to end the menace including the ratification of ILO Conventions 138 and 182 on Minimum Age and Worst Forms of Child Labour, respectively; and the enactment of national legislation such as the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651).
It also highlighted the launch of the Ghana Accelerated Action Plan Against Child Labour (2023-2027) which provides a framework for coordinated action.
Cause
According to CHRAJ the prevalence of child labour in the country is driven by a combination of structural, economic, and socio-cultural factors.
“Enforcement of child protection and labour laws remains weak, particularly at the local level. Although Ghana has strong legal frameworks in place, there is a significant gap in implementation, monitoring, and prosecution of violations.”
It also cited budgetary constraints and limited logistical support as hurdles to the effectiveness of child protection institutions at the district and community levels.
“Many child protection committees and Social Welfare offices operate without adequate resources or trained personnel, limiting their ability to respond to cases in a timely and comprehensive manner.”
It further cited fragmentation of efforts among government agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector as well as cultural norms and practices that normalize child labour in sectors such as agriculture, domestic service, street vending, and informal apprenticeships.
Solutions
To accelerate the pace of progress, CHRAJ urged the government and all stakeholders to take several decisive steps, including updating and expanding national data on child labour by sponsoring comprehensive and periodic surveys, combined with robust monitoring systems to capture emerging trends and identify vulnerable groups.
It also called for the empowerment of local structures to play a more active role in prevention and response.
“Social Welfare Departments and other agencies and institutions must be adequately resourced and trained to detect, report, and manage child labour cases effectively.”
It further suggested a harmonized digital monitoring and response system to enable real-time data sharing and coordination among the Ministry of Employment, the Ghana Education Service, CHRAJ, the Labour Department, and key civil society actors.
“Such integration will significantly improve case tracking, resource allocation, and overall efficiency.”
Finally, it requested the expansion of the coverage of social protection programmes such as Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP).
“These schemes should be linked directly to education and child welfare services to provide families with a viable alternative to child labour. In parallel, the capacity of law enforcement agencies must be strengthened to ensure that those who exploit children face real consequences under the law.”
Source: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/
