UNICEF calls for protective environment for children development

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for the establishment of a protective environment where all children in Ghana would grow up free from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Mrs Johanna Eriksson Takyo, a representative of the UNICEF, noted that, to have a protective environment for children, there was the need for good laws and policies, strong social and justices system and processes of social change.

Mrs Takyo was speaking at the 10th anniversary to commemorate the World Day Against Child Labour on the theme: “Human Rights and Social Justice: Let’s end Child Labour” in Accra on Tuesday.

She said the 2012 UNICEF state of the World’s Children report indicated that 34 per cent of children, boys and girls, between the ages of 5 and 14 years were engaged in child labour.

She said currently, UNICEF was supporting government to undertake a comprehensive child labour survey which would provide further insights into the nature and causes of child labour problem in Ghana.

Mrs Takyo said that, UNICEF believed in a holistic approach to addressing child labour issues because child protection abuses were most often inter-related.

She commended the Government of Ghana for its efforts at tackling the issues of child labour using some of these strategies.

Mrs Juliana Azuma-Mensah, Minister of Children and Women Affairs, said one way of promoting human rights and social justice with intent to end child labour was to promote education.

She said government was committed to the cause of the child by creating an enabling environment for the promotion and protection of their rights and freedom.

“Livelihood empowerment against poverty, distribution of free exercise and text books, school uniforms and capitation grants are some of the social intervention programmes been implemented by government,” she noted.

She reminded stakeholders to ensure that practical interventions were implemented to promote human rights and social justice not only for children but the whole society.

Mrs Azuma-Mensah appealed for all to be resilient in their quest to promote a world fit for children.**