Three non-governmental organisations have called for the enforcement of laws to protect children and vulnerable people in society.
Children Believe, Right to Play, and Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems, further called for national and sub-national strategies to protect children.
The NGOs said this would help eliminate child abuse, child labour, early and child marriage, female genital mutilation and child trafficking, among other practices that curtailed the freedom of children.
They made the call during this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the African Child held in Tamale on Thursday on the theme: “Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on the Policy and Practice since 2013.”
Children from various basic schools in the Northern Region took part in the event by engaging in fun games as well as being mentored and trained to report abuses to the appropriate authorities.
The International Day of the African Child is commemorated on June 16, every year, to amongst others, monitor the progress made towards children’s rights.
Mr William Anim-Dankwa, the Communications Manager of Children Believe, speaking on behalf of the Country Manager, Madam Esenam Kavi De Souza, during the event, said this year’s celebration presented an opportunity to review the status of practices harming children.
This, he said, would be done by highlighting the issues African children were faced with and assessing progress towards the protection and assistance of children, who were at risk.
He said Children Believe was poised to continuously work towards child rights and protection, educating and advocating for swift actions to eliminate illicit acts against children.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Emmanuel Horlortu, Northern Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, said children must be exposed to laws governing their rights to enable them to report abuses.
DSP Horlortu expressed a need to educate children on things that made them vulnerable, saying “Knowing being a female at a certain age, you are more vulnerable to abuse, would make a child in that category very cautious.”
He encouraged children to be observant to know natural characteristics that posed threats and exposed them to crime to avoid them.
Mr Inusah Iddrisu, the Senior Public Education Officer at the Northern Regional office of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, urged members of the public to report abuses against children to appropriate institutions for the law to take its course.
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