Samira Bawumia pushes for tougher sanctions against child traffickers

April 15, 2017 11:18 AM

Mrs Bawumia, who was addressing the launch of a baseline study on child trafficking and forced labour on the Volta Lake by International Justice Mission (IJM) Thursday, said prosecution will serve as a deterrent to those engaged in it.

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Second lady Samirra Bawumia is pushing for tougher sanctions against perpetrators of child trafficking and force labour, saying it is not enough to sensitize without prosecution.

“When people are prosecuted, it will serve as a deterrent to others,” she said, adding that child trafficking has gain root in Ghana and it is depriving lives and futures of many children.

She described child trafficking in the Volta Lake as horrifying, revealing that, “Some of the children are as young as four years old. Most of them are denied their basic human rights such as right to education, medical care, adequate nutrition and freedom from servitude.”

Mrs Bawumia drew a parallel between children assisting their parents at home or on the farm and those engaged in slavery.

He said “in the case where the freedom of the children are taken away from them, that is an element of slavery because you ought to be free to make that decision”.

“The law provides that every child should be allowed to go to school; it is compulsory for every child. So any activity that impedes that is wrong”, she said.