Child Rights Organisation concerned about delay in prosecuting child abusers.

By Linda Naa Deide Aryeetey GNA

Accra, August 29, GNA - The Pan-African Organisation for Research and Protection of Violence on Women and Children (PAORP-VWC) has expressed worry about the laxity in the enforcement of child protection laws in Ghana.

It said the tedious process and long timing for the persecution of child right violators was a contributory factor to the low reportage and the increase in child abuse in the communities.

The organisation has to this end advocated the provision of effective strategies and the efficient enforcement of laws, which would enable children to live and grow in a safe environment.

Speaking at a workshop of child protection in Accra on Wednesday, Dr Peter Ndonwie, Director of PAORP-VWC said there was an urgent need to build stronger and sustainable partnerships at all levels to address development challenges affecting children.

The workshop brought together stakeholders to discuss best ways to minimise incidence of early and forced child marriage and child trafficking in the country.

Inputs gathered at the workshop would be inculcated in a project dubbed; ‘Promotion of Protection against Child Trafficking and Child Early and forced marriages’.

The project, which is expected to compliment the government efforts towards addressing some child rights violations in the Northern Region is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Germany.

Dr Ndonwie said the project would be carried out in the Gushegu municipality, Tolon, Kumbungu and Zabzugu districts in efforts to reduce harmful cultural practices and traditional beliefs, which affect the rights of children.

The project would according to him develop and build grass root networks to increase reported cases to reduce abuses at the community level.

Ms Patience Hayford, Senior Programmes Officer at the Ministry for Gender, Children and Social Protection said the Children’s Act, 1998 (560), the Juvenile Justice Act 2003 (act 653) and the Human Trafficking Act 201(694) were being amended to suit current trends of children facing vulnerabilities in their lives.

“Though the government’s efforts ensure the protective care of the child, it is marred by challenges such as low appreciation of child rights in our communities and low reportage of child abuse cases. We are still on course in providing safer environment for children,” she said.

Mr Eugene Narh Korletey, Acting Chief Labour Officer at the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations noted  that in 2017, the World Health Organisation estimated that up to One billion minors between the ages of 2 and 17 years have endured violence either physical emotional or sexual.

“The indication from the statistics at the global and national levels was that, a lot more needed to be done to ensure that the basic rights of every child was assured,” he said.

He observed that the statistics did not reflect the intensity of work done, hence, that need to relook at existing legal instruments and intensify actions and collaboration to end child abuse.

Mr Korletey stressed the need for society to revisit part of the culture that sought to protect children from harm and abuse holding a high conviction that a child belongs to both the family and community.

Read Full Story