Affail Money, GJA President
The president of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Mr. Affail Monney has pledged his unflinching support for the Ghanaians Against Child Abuse (GACA) movement by signing up as a chief GACA.
By signing up to be a GACA, the GJA president joins thousands of parents, traditional rulers, families and individuals across Ghana standing against all forms of child abuse.
Speaking at a media soiree organized by the Government of Ghana under Ministries of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Local Government and Rural Development with support from UNICEF, the GJA President said child abuse remains an important issue of national concern, given the many cases reported almost every month.
According to Mr. Monney, child abuse has a long-term impact on the mental health of children and a concerted effort is needed to reduce it to the barest minimum.
“We believe that every child in this country has the right to a brighter tomorrow and it all begins with a healthy childhood. We all benefit when children grow up in loving homes with appropriate structures and limits devoid of abuse. With your help we can make sure children get best of their childhood experience by pushing for positive social change using our media platforms”, noted, the GJA president.
Mr. Monney urged his colleague journalists to join the movement and take action in curbing child abuse in the country.
On her part, the Communications Officer of UNICEF, Ms. Offeibea Baddoo has called on journalists to ensure a balance between the best interest of children and their mandate to serve public interest in their reportage.
“We need to give our children the platform to learn, grow and plan for a brighter future. Do not publish a story or an image which might put the child, siblings or peers at risk even when identities are changed, obscured or not used”, said Ms. Baddoo.
The soiree was organized to obtain first-hand experiences and information from the perspective of Ghanaian Journalists on the issue of child abuse. As part of the event, a GACA press corps was launched with a core mandate of ensuring increased visibility in reporting on issues concerning children. The press corps pledged to be Ghanaians Against Child Abuse and declared their commitment to reporting accurately on any abuse case.
About GACA
GACA is a Child Protection Social Drive which seeks to reduce the acceptance of social practices that have negative consequences on the protection of children by creating a critical mass of people capable to promote the adoption of behaviours favourable to the protection of children and adolescents.
GACA is in line with the Government’s Child and Family Welfare and Justice for Children policies that provide the framework for strengthening the child protection system to prevent and respond appropriately to issues of child abuse.
GACA is led by the Government of Ghana in collaboration with UNICEF and with the support of Global Affairs Canada, the Korea International Co-operation Agency (KOICA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
