Member of Parliament for Afram Plains North, Hon. Joseph Appiah Boateng, has called for renewed national commitment to end child labour in Ghana, stressing that no child should be forced to sacrifice their education, safety, and future because of poverty and economic hardship.
Delivering a statement in Parliament to commemorate the 2026 World Day Against Child Labour under the theme, “Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults,” the lawmaker said economic difficulties continue to place immense pressure on families across the world, with children often paying the highest price.
Hon. Appiah Boateng described child labour as one of the gravest violations of children’s rights and a major challenge to national development, emphasizing that the fight against child exploitation requires collective and sustained action.
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According to the 2024 Global Estimates on Child Labour by the International Labour Organization (ILO), approximately 138 million children worldwide, representing 7.8 per cent of all children, are engaged in child labour, including nearly 54 million involved in hazardous work.
He noted that child labour remains particularly prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 21.5 per cent of children are affected. Despite recent progress, rapid population growth has prevented a significant reduction in the total number of children trapped in exploitative labour.
Turning to Ghana’s situation, the MP disclosed that findings from the 2017/2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey showed that about 2.5 million Ghanaian children, representing 28 per cent of children aged between five and 17 years, are engaged in child labour.
He observed that child labour in Ghana manifests in various forms, including trafficking, forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation, hazardous work in mining, fishing, quarrying, and agriculture, as well as exploitative activities such as street hawking and domestic work.
The legislator cited recent cases from communities around the Volta Lake and illegal mining areas as evidence of the continuing vulnerability of children to dangerous and exploitative working conditions. He also expressed concern over the increasing number of children, including those with disabilities and internally displaced children, living and working on the streets.
Hon. Appiah Boateng acknowledged Ghana’s efforts to combat child labour through legislation such as the Children’s Act, the Labour Act, and the Human Trafficking Act, alongside the country’s commitment to international conventions, including the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
He highlighted interventions such as the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Human Trafficking, the National Child Labour Strategic Framework, Child Labour Free Zones, the Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System, and social protection programmes such as the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) programme and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
Despite these initiatives, the Afram Plains North MP warned that poverty, unemployment, rising living costs, inadequate educational opportunities, weak social protection systems, and enforcement gaps continue to place children at risk.
“For many vulnerable families, child labour remains a means of survival rather than a choice,” he stated, cautioning that if these challenges remain unaddressed, they will continue to perpetuate cycles of poverty and vulnerability across generations.
MPs who contributed to the statement reiterated calls by Hon. Appiah Boateng for targeted social interventions, expanded educational opportunities, youth employment programmes, and stronger support systems for vulnerable families to address the root causes of child labour.
They urged Parliament to strengthen oversight of child protection institutions, increase investment in education, social welfare, and rehabilitation services, and improve data collection to support evidence-based policymaking.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn in a classroom rather than labour in hazardous conditions. Every child deserves protection, dignity, and the freedom to dream and achieve their full potential,” they said.
The MPs appealed to state institutions, civil society organisations, traditional authorities, parents, and all citizens to renew their collective commitment towards ending child labour and building a Ghana where every child is safe, educated, and empowered.