Ghana marks 40 years of implementing children’s rights

Children selected from different schools in Accra, have called for the standardisation of schools in the rural areas, creation of play centres and the removal of tax on sanitary pads as some measures that will help improve their welfare and development.

The children made the appeal to government when Ghana through the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection joined the world to mark International Children’s Day.

Its observance marks 40 years of the establishment of the Government machinery for implementing children’s rights. Alongside, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is also commemorating its 30th Anniversary.

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison, speaking at the event held at the Kofi Annan Peace-Keeping Training Centre in Accra on Thursday, said plans are in place to reconstruct the Afua Sutherland Children’s Park.

She added that some developmental projects in support of children accompany the celebrations and this includes the construction of a first ever maternal home at the outskirt of Dove in the Volta Region where women are not permitted to give birth in the town.

Since 1979, the National Dialogue of government machinery for child rights implementation in Ghana has been celebrated. The day is marked annually to draw stakeholders attention to leverage on the achievements and problems facing children.

The commemoration received goodwill messages from partners such as; StarGhana, World Vision International, Plan International, International Needs and UNICEF.

GBC children’s flagship programme, ‘Curious Minds’ won an award at the event for highlighting the Rights of Children.

BY: NHYIRA KWABI