Flashback: Arrest those engaging children in mining – Child Rights International

As issues of mining are still a topical issue today, we bring you a flashback of how the Child Rights International, in 2017, called for the arrest of persons who are engaging children in their mining activities.

In its findings at the time, the organization found that there were high cases of exploitation of children in the sector, especially for the illegal galamsey mining.

The Child Rights International suggested that the government rolls out a social protection programme aimed at coming to the aid of the children.

Here is the full report which was first published on May 4, 2017, on Ghanaweb.com

Child Rights International is calling for the arrest and prosecution of parents who engage their children in illegal mining.

According to the organisation, its latest findings on child exploitation in mining communities point to an alarming increase in the engagement of children as labourers on mining concession sites with at least four in every five homes within the designated areas of the research having a child or two working on ‘galamsey’ sites.

“By policy design we need to also take their concerns into consideration and see how we can support them, especially when it comes to children who work in the mining sector. How do we help them look at life from the other side of it,” said Bright Appiah, the Executive Director of Child’s Rights International Thursday.

The organisation, he said expects government to roll out a social protection programme aimed at coming to the aid of the children.

“Government must take steps to deal with these people…if it is about prosecution, government must do that because it involves child trafficking and all that,” he added.