The Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (MOFAD) and the U.S. Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have signed a new Anti-Child Labor and Trafficking Strategy for the fisheries sector.
The strategy outlines the Ministry’s plans to reduce and eventually eliminate child labor and trafficking in the sector.
The USAID Sustainable Fisheries Management Project collaborated with MOFAD to develop a national strategy to help eradicate child labor and trafficking in Ghanaian fishing communities. Coordinated through the MOFAD Marine Fisheries Division, the consultative process also included participation and support from Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Protection.
Coordinated through the MOFAD Marine Fisheries Division, the consultative process also included participation and support from Ghana’s Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Protection.
Approved by MOFAD Ministry, on July 13, 2018, the signning ceremony which was held in Accra marks the public unveiling of the new strategy. The strategy document outlines the Ministry’s plans to reduce and eventually eliminate child labour and trafficking in the fisheries sector.
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Elizabeth Naa Afoley Quaye says Child Labour and Trafficking is a major global problem that governments, civil society and development partners have show grave concern due to its devastating impact on societies around the world.
According to her, Africa is said to be the leading continent contributing 19-point-six percent adding that two million children are involved in child labour and two hundred thousand in worst forms of child labour in Ghana.
Naa Afoley Quaye said this when the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and U.S. government through the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID, of the Sustainable Fisheries Management Project held a signing ceremony for the Fisheries sector’s new Anti-Child Labour and Trafficking Strategy document at Accra.
For his part, the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Ghana, Christopher Lamora noted the newly adopted strategy is to strengthen Ghana’s commitment to fighting child labour and trafficking, and highlights the cooperation to eliminate all forms of child labour and human trafficking.
“The newly adopted strategy “bolsters the Government of Ghana’s commitment to fight child labor and trafficking, and highlights our cooperation to eliminate all forms of child labor and human trafficking.”
According to him, employing children in a manner that deprives them of their childhood and is harmful to their physical and mental development.
Over the past two years, the Government of Ghana has increased efforts to address child labor and trafficking. In recognition of these efforts, the Department of State upgraded Ghana’s classification to Tier 2 in the 2018 State Department’s Trafficking in Person report, paving the way for further cooperation and development assistance.
