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Ghana falling short on children's rights - Activist
This comes as Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark the day of the African child today [June 16].
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His comments come as Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark the day of the African child today [June 16].
The day has been commemorated since 1991 to honour the memory of the gallant children who were killed by security forces in Soweto, South Africa for protesting to demand their rights to quality education in 1976.
This year’s celebrations highlight the need for accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunity for children in Africa by 2030.
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Even though Ghana has made some achievements in terms of the above through interventions such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and investments in physical and social infrastructure, Mr Gyamerah tells Pulse.com.gh that the country can do more.
“Looking at for instance child labour is on the rise. You will be at the bus stop or station where these commercial vehicles take us to our various destinations, most of the drivers mates are teenagers, children, people who are below 16 years. Little efforts have been done t solve this kind of problem. Also looking at the rise in young people being trafficked to these Gulf countries, when they go there the kind of treatment that their bosses give them...all these come to the realisation that we have a lot to do."
Education
Mr Gyamerah indicated that “when you go to the rural communities, you would see that many children are out of school.
"Recently, UNICEF Ghana came out with a finding that about 1.6 million children between the ages of 6-17 are out of school. And all these things you need to pay particular attention to all these things.”
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Child marriage
Mr Gyamerah blamed the situation on poverty in several communities, particularly, the northern areas, Central and Volta regions.
He said that many children who are passionate of having a decent life are often forced into prostitution because of poverty.
“The civil society is doing their best but I think that they are not going deeper because these problems occur in the rural communities but most of their activism is centered in the cities where majority of the children are almost empowered or have some kind of guidance,” he said.
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So what should be the way forward?
Mr Gyamerah believes that civil society organisations, Ministry of Gender and Children Protection, the Social Welfare departments of the various municipalities and the district assemblies “should come together; all hands must be on deck."
He argues that such institutions should not sit in Accra and formulate policies but they “should go the grassroots where most of these problems are happening.”
The child rights activist further believes that “The era of talking has passed. This is the time to go out in our numbers, organise campaigns, meet opinion leaders in these communities.”
He also suggested that such Days for children should not always be organised in the regional capitals but should be taken to the rural areas.
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“Let’s identify a place where early marriages are on the rise; let’s put these programmes there. Let’s talk to the parents, heads of schools, teachers, the children themselves so that if these people are highly empowered, they will understand all these things,” he explained.
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