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Parents have been advised to desist from encouraging their children especially, adolescent girls, to go into prostitution.
Alhaji Ibn Ibrahim, Chairman of Champions of Change, a child advocacy initiative of the Defense for Children International (DCI Ghana), said everybody had a critical role to play in the development of children, but the role of parents formed a greater percentage.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark this year’s World Day Against Child Labour at the Old Tafo SDA JHS in Kumasi, he said parents who often faced economic challenges, at times encouraged their daughters to engage in early sex and promiscuous lives, which were also forms of child labour.
It was organized by DCI Ghana, to sensitize parents, guardians, pupils and students in the Old Tafo Municipality on the harmful effects of child labour.
“Most times children we chance upon in these acts say it was their parents who told them to fend for themselves. This is a form of child labour in the highest order which must cease”, he told parents at the gathering.
This year’s celebration was held under the theme “Children Shouldn’t Work in Fields but on Dreams”.
Alhaji Ibrahim explained to the gathering that activities such as helping parents around in the home, assisting in family business and petty jobs during holidays contributed to children’s development.
He added that activities that had no effect on health and personal development or interfering with the education of the child was regarded as positive and should be encouraged by all parents and guardians.
He called on law enforcement agencies to ensure sanity and arrest those involved in prostitution and commercial sex.
Mrs Vida Owusu, the Metro Education Girl Child Coordinator, told children to work towards a brighter future, adding that, their future is in their own hands.
She advised them to stay away from unhealthy lifestyles, which could ruin their welfare.
