Accra: Dr Joseph Whittal, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), has called on the government and stakeholders to take decisive steps to eliminate child labour in Ghana effectively.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Whittal, in a statement on World Day Against Child Labour, highlighted that the persistence of child labour in Ghana is driven by structural, economic, and socio-cultural factors. He emphasized the urgent need to update and expand national data on child labour through comprehensive and periodic surveys, combined with robust monitoring systems, to capture emerging trends and identify vulnerable groups.
Dr Whittal pointed out that empowering local structures to play a more active role in prevention and response is crucial. Social welfare departments and other agencies must be adequately resourced and trained to detect, report, and manage child labour cases effectively. He advocated for the development of a harmonised digital monitoring and response system to enable real-time data sharing and coordination among key governmental and civil society actors, which would improve case tracking, resource allocation, and overall efficiency.
Furthermore, Dr Whittal called for the expansion of social protection programmes, such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), linking them directly to education and child welfare services to provide families with viable alternatives to child labour. He also stressed the importance of strengthening the capacity of law enforcement agencies to ensure that those who exploit children face legal consequences.
Despite Ghana's strong legal frameworks and ratification of conventions like the ILO Conventions 138 and 182, Dr Whittal noted significant gaps in implementation, monitoring, and prosecution of violations. Budgetary constraints and limited logistical support continue to hamper the effectiveness of child protection institutions at various levels, with many operating without adequate resources or trained personnel.
He also highlighted the fragmentation of efforts among government agencies, civil society organisations, and the private sector, which hinders data sharing, joint planning, and accountability. Cultural norms and practices that normalise child labour, particularly in sectors such as agriculture and domestic service, remain deeply entrenched, often reinforced by poverty.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to raise awareness and prompt action towards abolishing child labour globally. The theme for this year's commemoration is 'Progress Is Clear, But There's More to Do: Let's Speed Up Efforts.'
