Ghana Indicted In Human Rights Report On Child Labour

A latest report by the Human Rights Watch has indicted Ghana for doing little to protect children forced into labour especially, in the mines.

Some of these children, according to the report, have died and dropped out of school.

The 82 page-report, “Precious Metal, Cheap Labour: Child Labour and Corporate Responsibility in Ghana’s Artisanal Gold Mines,” documents the use of child labour in Ghana’s artisanal, or unlicensed mines, where most mining take place.

According to the report, thousands of children work in hazardous conditions in violation of Ghanaian and international law.

Most child laborers, the report stated, are between the ages of 15 and 17, but younger children also work in Ghana’s mines.

But Government is seeking for funding to enable it effectively tackle the child labour menace in the country.

Government is asking corporate bodies and development partners to aid its ongoing interventions at stopping the practice.

Cypion Laryea, Secretary for the national steering committee on child labor at the Gender Ministry said, the government needs more support to rescue these children.

“International organizations are actually coming in to assist the government to train law enforcement agencies and in about a year, we have trained law enforcement agencies including, CHRAJ, DOVVSU, anti-human traffic aid unit and we are now networked so that when an issue is chanced upon, others come in to assist”.