Deputy Minister calls on media to champion campaign against child labor

General News on Friday, June 7, 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

2019-06-07

Mr Bright Wireku Brobbey, Deputy Minister of Employment and Labor Relations (MoELR), on Thursday called on the media to champion the fight against child labor in the country.

"The role of the media in protecting children from all dangers, especially child labor, is not negotiable," Brobbey told reporters in Accra at the media launch of World Anti-Doping Day. Child Labor 2019 (WDACL).

Its theme is "Consolidating Efforts: Children Must Work on Dreams That Are Not in the Fields".

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), child labor is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and harms physical and mental development.

The WDACL, which falls on June 12, will be observed in Ghana, in Effiduase, in the Ashanti region.

According to global estimates of child labor for 2017, 154 million children are, including nearly half, or 73 million, in dangerous conditions.

Statistics reveal that about every fifth child is involved in child labor.

Brobbey said the goals of this year's WDACL included a review of progress over the past century and the perspective of Goal 8.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

It should be noted that this year marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the ILO. As a tripartite body, it has always advanced social justice and the promotion of decent work with the aim of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. Goal 8.7, which aimed to end all forms of child labor by 2025.

He indicated that in Ghana, it was estimated that 21.8% of children were working children and that more than six out of ten were engaged in hazardous work.

He said that it was both a violation of their constitutional rights and national development.

"Despite the government's policies and other social interventions, such as the capitation grant for elementary school children, it would be difficult for the country to reduce the child labor prevalence rate if we do not have a child. let's not accelerate and intensify our efforts, "said Mr. Brobbey.

He added that this year's theme encourages stakeholders to redouble their efforts to reaffirm their efforts to defend the rights of all children, including removing them from the terrain where many dangers exist and helping them to achieve their goals. their dreams and to exploit their potential. .

"When we encourage our children to realize their dreams, it builds their self-confidence and helps them achieve their goals," he said.

Mr Mike Arthur, national coordinator of the International Cocoa Initiative, said they were developing cutting-edge innovative strategies to combat forced labor and child labor.

He added that such structures were being developed at the community level to prevent the worst forms of child labor and reduce the exposure of children to the risk of damage on farms.

Mr. Emmanuel Kwame Mensah, National Programs Coordinator, ILO Caring Gold Mining Project, reiterated that the deadline for the Sustainable Development Agenda to eliminate child labor by 2025 was achievable.