Negative beliefs and practices hampering children’s welfare

Geneva, Switzerland -- Ghana has defended its child welfare policies in Geneva and intimated that the rights of some children are still being abused because of deeply-rooted socio-cultural beliefs and practices.

 Though there are laws that criminalise these beliefs and practices, and constitutional provisions that prohibit them, some cases of female genital mutilation (FGM), trokosi system (young girls serving in slavery) and widowhood rites still persist in some communities.

The third day of the ongoing 69th Session of the United Nations (UN) Committee of the Rights of the Child (CRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, saw Ghana and Honduras presenting their reports to the committee for discussion.

The tone was set for the discussion of Ghana's 3rd, 4th and 5th Combined Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child after the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, presented a report to the Committee.