Today is World Day Against Child Labour
Activities to mark the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labour has been launched at a ceremony in Accra.
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The day, June 12, which is observed throughout the world, is on the theme, “Combating child labour in Ghana through effective social protection”.
The celebration draws attention to the importance of social protection as a means of keeping children out of child labour and withdrawing those who are already in it.
The outgoing Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Antwi Bosiako-Sekyere, who launched the programme, indicated that a survey by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) on child labour in 2013 reported that worldwide, there had been a reduction in the number of children working in hazardous condition from 246 million to 168 million.
He said currently, 85 million children in the world were engaged in child labour, but indicated that in spite of the modest achievement, the 2016 target set to eradicate all forms of child labour would not be met unless intervention programmes were intensified.
Mr Bosiako-Sekyere pointed out that the root causes of child labour such as poverty, health and social protection issues needed to be tackled.
By protecting children and their families, all children would be given the equal opportunity to fulfil their potential and live healthy, happy and productive lives, he stressed.
Mr Bosiako-Sekyere tasked the media to intensify their role in the fight against child labour by reporting frequently on the plight of children and educating parents on the need to send their wards to school so as to overcome the social problem.
In a speech read on behalf of Nana Oye Lithur- Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection- by a Director at the ministry, Mr Mawutor Ablo, said child labour was a chronic problem which often reappeared in new and different forms after it had been dealt with.
According to him, the ministry was collaborating with some institutions and organisations to coordinate the implementation of interventions such as the free National Health Insurance Scheme, the Capitation Grant, among others in order to address issues of child labour.
Mr Ablo said these interventions, especially the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme, had significantly reduced child labour practices, adding that by the end of the year, there would be an expansion to cover 150,0000 households.
There would be a national policy forum, as well as a debate by two schools, among other activities to commemorate the day.