Stakeholders Review Protocols on Child Trafficking, Prostitution, and Pornography

The Ashanti Regional Department of Children under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in collaboration with various stakeholders and security services, has undertaken a review of the ratification of optional protocols on child trafficking, child pornography, and child prostitution.

This initiative was discussed during an extended Regional Child Protection Committee meeting held in Kumasi, Ashanti region.

The committee, comprised of representatives from relevant government ministries, departments, agencies, civil society organizations, development partners, faith-based organizations, traditional authorities, and the media, came together to address the critical issues of child trafficking, child prostitution, and child pornography in Ghana.

These activities are considered violations of children’s fundamental rights, breaches of Ghanaian laws, and infringement upon child rights.

In a speech made by Ms. Susana Dery, the Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DoVVSU), she advised students to refrain from taking and sharing explicit photos and videos, as it is a crime under Ghanaian law.

“Every student should desist from taking and sharing nude pictures and videos which is also a crime against the law in Ghana and by this means, many boys and men have taken such opportunities to blackmail their partners with such nudity,” she said.

Ms. Susana Dery

Superintendent Regina E. Mintah, from the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in the Ashanti region, cautioned parents about taxi drivers who transport their children to school and warned that child prostitution is not only limited to roadside encounters but can also occur through online platforms accessible via mobile phones.

“Most of these children are exploited on the blind side of the parents.”

“Due to the advancement of technology, child prostitution is not only by the roadside but is on the mobile phone, where some children can now have access to a website for a call-up.”

She therefore advised all parents to be vigilant.

Superintendent Regina E. Mintah

Furthermore, Mr. Jackson Fimpong-Manso, the Programmes Officer of the Department of Children, spoke on behalf of the regional department, emphasizing the importance of collective responsibility in addressing these issues.

He called on parents and the entire Ghanaian community to unite in the fight against child trafficking, child prostitution, and child pornography, as it requires a shared effort.

“The ministry alone can’t handle such situations and we must come together to solve this menace,” he said

Reports indicate that child sexual abuse, including child pornography, has seen a significant increase in recent years.

Attendees

In 2020 alone, over 13,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse were accessed or uploaded from Ghana, marking a drastic rise compared to the 750 reported in 2016. Cases of child prostitution have also been reported in various parts of the country.

The Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) Round 7 reveals that one in three children is engaged in child labour, and three in four children experience multidimensional poverty.

Child maintenance cases, where parents fail to provide for their children’s needs, are prevalent and considered the most common form of child abuse in the country.

Without concerted efforts to address these issues, Ghana remains at risk of higher prevalence rates of child trafficking, child prostitution, and child pornography.

The review of the ratification of optional protocols aims to strengthen the protection of children’s rights and enhance efforts to combat these grave violations.

Story by Emmanuel Oteng Agbley