GOVERNMENT INTENSIFIES FIGHT AGAINST CHILD HAWKING, LINKS POVERTY TO CHILD LABOUR – GENDER MINISTER

The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has told Parliament that poverty remains a key driver of child hawking in Ghana, and government is scaling up interventions to address its root causes while strengthening enforcement.

Delivering a statement in the House, she said: “Poverty remains a key driver of child hawking.  The Ministry continues to implement social protection interventions such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty programme, the School Feeding Initiative, and complementary livelihood support programmes aimed at reducing vulnerability and discouraging child labour practices.”

Hon. Dr. Lartey added that the Ministry, together with stakeholders, is intensifying public awareness campaigns on the harmful effects of child hawking, child labour and exploitation. 

The campaigns also promote the importance of education and child protection.

“On enforcement and care,” the Minister stated, “the Ministry is supporting coordinated action by MMDAs and relevant enforcement agencies to identify children on the street, provide temporary care and counselling services, and facilitate family tracing and reintegration where appropriate.”

She reaffirmed government’s commitment to upholding the law: “Government remains committed to enforcing existing child protection laws, including the Children’s Act 1998, the Human Trafficking Act 2005, and other related legal frameworks aimed at protecting children from exploitation and hazardous work.”