'Don't deny me of my childhood': Experiences of trafficked children and policy implications in Ghana

Abstract

The International Labour Organisation's (ILO) report (2013) indicates that over 215 million child labourers are engaged in several economic activities in the world, and that some 60 percent of them work in the agriculture sector including fishing and aquaculture. The alarming rates of this menace continually raise concerns; yet, hands-on measures of remedying the situation have not been adequately explored. The paper explores the experiences of trafficked children and how they are reintegrated into the Ghanaian society after their rescue and also makes some policy recommendations. It relies on data gathered from two institutions, (from both private and public sectors) using observation, focus group discuss ions and in-depth interview methods. The study finds that victims are used for various jobs in the fishing industry, ranging from diving into the muddy water to untying nets from underwater spiked branches. Furthermore, victims lack basic childhood facilities such as safe drinking water, access to education and good parental care as they are coerced into works that are dangerous to their health. Among others, the study finds that many trafficked children working in fishing communities are recruited into the fishing sector by their poor parents for monetary gain. The study recommends the resourcing of appropriate institutions to enforce laws, policies and institutional frameworks such as the Children's Act, Human Trafficking Act, among others