Gender Ministry fights child labour, human trafficking through sports

By Paul Nyojah Dalafu

The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection yesterday organised a sports competition for Seior High Schools (SHS) in Accra to raise awareness among children about child labour and human trafficking.

The event, held in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other stakeholders, commemorated the UN Day Against Child Trafficking in Persons (Blue Day) under the theme “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.”

The football matches included teams from Accra Academy, Ordogonno Senior High School, Kaneshie, and Wesley Grammar Senior High Schools. Winners will receive medals and a golden cup at the end of the event.

Campaign

At the event, the Chief Director of the Gender Ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, emphasised that children represent a significant proportion of trafficking victims worldwide, with girls being disproportionately affected.

She stated that the initiative aims at implementing the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Human Trafficking in Ghana. The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection is undertaking preventive measures to combat this issue through various thematic areas.

“As a ministry, one of our core mandates is to identify vulnerabilities and implement measures to mitigate them. We have encountered situations where people pose as agents promising our youth entry into creative clubs and prospects, only to deceive them, rob them of substantial sums of money, and exploit them in various countries,” she said.

Dr. Zakariah urged the youth to pursue their futures through sports and cautioned them against unscrupulous individuals who may prey on their aspirations.

She added that traffickers and migrant smugglers often exploit victims’ vulnerabilities and poverty, and stressed the need for youth to remain vigilant and travel wisely. “Let us unite to create an environment where every child can grow up free and empowered to reach their full potential,” she noted.

Collaboration

For her part, IOM’s Chief of Mission, Fatou Diallo Ndiaye, stated that commemorating Blue Day served as a powerful reminder to strengthen collaboration and pool resources in the ongoing fight against human trafficking.

She reiterated IOM’s commitment to counter trafficking by working closely with governments, the United Nations, international and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to eliminate trafficking.

Mrs. Ndiaye called for partnerships with humanitarian actors to ensure effective implementation of the “4P” framework—prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership—which is a cornerstone approach in combating human trafficking. She noted that several trafficking victims have been rescued, reinstated, and reintegrated into their communities of origin.