By Rachel Kakraba
This year’s UN Day against Human Trafficking has been launched in Accra, with a call on all stakeholders to continue sensitisation initiatives that will raise awareness of the phenomenon among the public.
This has become crucial as Ghana remains a transit and destination point for human trafficking. Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakaria, who made the call, also hinted that social media is increasingly becoming an avenue for luring unsuspecting persons into trafficking.
”You must know social media has a lot of influence, and it’s becoming more used than the traditional media. The laws and regulation prohibit and make it illegal to advertise, publish, or distribute pictures of victims, as well as recruiting someone for the purpose of having that person exploited or for prostitution or pornography, sexual exploitation and forced labour.”
“The obligation of the ministry to educate all classes of people as Ghana is a source of transit and a destination country. We need to increase awareness and community sensitization to address this menace.”
Human trafficking is a crime that exploits persons, especially women, children, and men, for numerous purposes, including forced labour and sex. To raise awareness of the situation of victims, the United Nations designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, otherwise known as the Blue Day.
At the launch of the 2024 commemoration, Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakaria, said this year’s event raises the importance of putting in place mechanisms for child protection, which the ministry is committed to. She said it is important for Ghana to have a national conversation on providing opportunities for the youth, adding that through collaborative initiatives, human trafficking could be eliminated in Ghana.
“This year’s theme, ‘Leave No One Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking’, underscores the critical importance of child protection and inclusion.”
A member of the Human Trafficking Management Board, Eric Peasah, called for inter-agency coordination for sustained sensitisation on Human Trafficking. He said eliminating Human Trafficking will require resources, and called on benevolent organizations to donate to the Human Trafficking Fund.
“Let’s not meet every year to commemorate World Day against Human Trafficking. We should use this opportunity to support the ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection to raise funds for the Human Trafficking Fund. We call on government institutions, NGOs, development partners to donate to the Human Trafficking Fund to support Anti Human Trafficking efforts.”
Project Manager, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Lamine Kane, encouraged the students to sustain conversation on Human Trafficking. He renewed the commitment of the IOM to supporting Ghana in Human Trafficking interventions.
There was an interschool debate by first and second cycle institutions on human trafficking. In the first cycle competition, it was a tight contest between Tesano 1 JHS and Police Depot JHS. With a point-three difference, Tesano 1 JHS emerged as the winner. Odorgonno Senior High School and Accra Academy also battled it out in the second cycle category, where Accra Academy emerged as winners.
Executive Coordinator Curious Minds, who also moderated the interschool debate, Kingsley Obeng Kyere, in acknowledging the tragic reality that not all victims of human trafficking survive the ordeal, emphasised the urgent need for a collective effort to eradicate the scourge.
He urged students to prioritise their studies while actively engaging in raising awareness about human trafficking among their peers to prevent others from falling victim.
