Experts are raising alarm over the increasing link between child labour and illegal mining commonly referred to as “galamsey,” in cocoa-growing regions of Ghana, warning that vulnerable children are being exploited in dangerous conditions.
Reports reveal that many children, some as young as 10 years, are forced to work in unregulated mining sites, putting their health and education at significant risk.
With “galamsey” operations on the rise, urgent calls for stronger government intervention and enforcement have emerged to protect the rights and well-being of these children.
Stakeholders in the fight against child labour are deeply concerned about the growing number of children involved in illegal mining activities, or “galamsey,” particularly in cocoa-growing areas.
Speaking to Channel One News, Deputy Director of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Mawuli Avutor, expressed alarm at the situation and called for stronger measures to combat the issue.
“Child labour is actually a human rights violation because it deprives children of their rights to education, health and development. It’s a serious canker because it does not only deprive children or the victims of their rights but also poses serious danger to national development. If we don’t attack/address it holistically, it may affect national development. Currently, there are threats all over the country, threatening the exportation of cocoa and gold because of traces of child labour in their production.”
Jeff Gbedzi, a senior labour officer, highlighted the widespread exploitation of children in illegal mining areas, stressing the need for immediate action.
“When you go to galamsey site, you find a lot of children there…We had a chat with them, and you realised that they are looking for money.”
They expressed this concern at a workshop held in Kumasi on the Ghana Accelerated Action Plan Against Child Labour where stakeholders discussed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on child labour and the Child Labour Free Zones (CLFZ) initiative.
Sowerst Ofori Agyemang, head of the child labour unit at the Labour Department, reaffirmed the department’s commitment to combating child labour across the country.
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By: Bright Yeboah
