Mr Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, General Secretary for the General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) of Ghana, has called for strict enforcement of laws against child labour and trafficking in cocoa growing communities.
He said the persistent exploitation of children continued to undermine their rights, education, health, and future prospects.
Mr. Tagoe, who was speaking to Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Kumasi indicated that, although Ghana had made progress through policy interventions, public education campaigns and community-based monitoring systems, many children in cocoa-producing areas were still exposed to hazardous work.
This he said, included the use of sharp tools, carrying heavy loads and engaging in activities that posed risks to their safety and development.
He noted that child trafficking and exploitative child labour remained offences under Ghana’s laws and urged law enforcement agencies to intensify investigations and prosecutions to deter offenders.
He explained that children belonged in classrooms and not on farms undertaking dangerous tasks that could jeopardise their education and well-being.
This could affect their physical development as well.
He added that poverty, low household incomes, inadequate access to social services and limited educational opportunities in some rural communities continued to drive the practice, making it necessary for authorities to address both the symptoms and root causes of the problem.
He called for increased investment in education, social protection programmes and livelihood support for cocoa-farming households to reduce economic pressures that often compelled families to involve children in farm activities.
The GAWU General Secretary advocated for stronger collaboration among traditional leaders, parents, teachers, cocoa buying companies, civil society organisations and government institutions to strengthen child protection systems at the community level.
He said that government agencies and development partners have demonstrated that community-based child protection mechanisms, climate-smart agriculture initiatives and child labour monitoring systems could help reduce the incidence of child labour, while improving household resilience.
Public education and awareness creation in Cocoa communities were crucial in helping community members understand the dangers of child trafficking and child labour and the long-term consequences for affected children and national development.
He urged residents in cocoa-growing areas to report suspected cases of child trafficking and child labour to the appropriate authorities for prompt action, stressing that, silence only allowed the practice to continue unchecked.
According to him, Ghana’s cocoa industry could only maintain its reputation and sustainability when children were protected from exploitation and given the opportunity to learn, grow and realise their full potential.
He called on every one including the media to help educate the public on the dangers of child trafficking and child labour.
Children must be made to engage in household chores and not hazardous work that could harm them.
