The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has joined the global community in commemorating the 2025 World Day Against Child Labour, anchoring its observance around the poignant theme: “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: Let’s speed up efforts.”
This year’s theme, according to CHRAJ, is a call to action, a reminder that although progress has been achieved globally and nationally, millions of children around the world still wake up each day trapped in work that is mentally, physically and socially harmful or morally bad.
According to CHRAJ, these children are denied their right to quality education, a safe environment, and a future free from exploitation.
“Globally, child labour remains a serious human rights concern. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF estimate that 160 million children, comprising 63 million girls and 97 million boys, were engaged in child labour at the start of 2020.
“Out of this number, 79 million children were engaged in hazardous work that directly endangers their health, safety, and moral development.”
Dr. Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ
Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, bears a disproportionate burden, accounting for over 86 million of these children, equating to more than one in five children in the region.
Reversal of Global Progress
What makes the current situation even more alarming, according to CHRAJ, is the unprecedented reversal of global progress against child labour over the past two decades.
For the first time, the CHRAJ decried that the trajectory has stalled and even regressed in certain regions, largely due to a confluence of global economic pressures.
Conflicts, the escalating impacts of climate change, the lingering socio-economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and widening inequalities have collectively pushed vulnerable families and their children into increasingly exploitative labour conditions.
These dynamics, CHRAJ noted, not only cruelly rob children of their inherent right to a childhood and a promising future but also significantly undermine international efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Target 8.7, which unequivocally calls for the complete elimination of child labour in all its manifestations by 2025.
Ghana’s Progress Versus. Setbacks
Ghana, despite these daunting global trends, has demonstrated a commendable commitment to confronting child labour head-on, implementing a series of proactive legislative and policy measures.
The nation has ratified crucial ILO Conventions, specifically 138 on Minimum Age and 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour, signaling its adherence to international standards.
Domestically, robust legal frameworks are in place, including the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651), designed to protect children from exploitation.
Furthermore, the launch of the Ghana Accelerated Action Plan Against Child Labour (2023-2027) provides a strategic framework for coordinated national action.
Despite these substantial legislative and policy efforts, CHRAJ decried that the persistence of child labour in Ghana remains a troubling reality, with alarming statistics painting a stark picture of the challenge.
“Over 1.1 million children in Ghana aged 5 to 17 are engaged in some form of work. Approximately 28% of children in this age group are involved in child labour, and 20.7% work under hazardous conditions. An estimated 500,000 working children are out of school- 68,500 have never attended, while more than 389,000 have dropped out.”
Dr. Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ
According to CHRAJ, compounding this, as of the third quarter of 2023, nearly 2 million Ghanaian youth aged 15-35 were classified as not in education, employment, or training (NEET), further entrenching cycles of poverty and vulnerability and exacerbating the conditions that push younger children into labour.
Causal Factors
The multifaceted persistence of child labour in Ghana is attributed to a complex interplay of structural, economic, and socio-cultural factors that collectively weaken the efficacy of existing protective measures.
The Commission noted that a significant impediment lies in the weak enforcement of child protection and labour laws, particularly at the local level.
While Ghana boasts strong legal frameworks, the human rights body argued that a considerable gap exists between their formulation and their effective implementation, monitoring, and the diligent prosecution of violations.
The Commission further contested that this gap is often exacerbated by severe budgetary constraints and limited logistical support, which continue to hamper the operational effectiveness of crucial child protection institutions at the district and community levels.
“Many child protection committees and Social Welfare offices operate without adequate resources or trained personnel, limiting their ability to respond to cases in a timely and comprehensive manner”
Dr. Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ
Another pressing issue is the fragmentation of efforts among various government agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
The absence of an integrated monitoring and response system hinders seamless data sharing, collaborative planning, and robust accountability mechanisms, resulting in vulnerable children frequently falling through the cracks of the protection system.
Moreover, deeply entrenched cultural norms and practices that, regrettably, normalize child labour persist, particularly in sectors such as agriculture, domestic service, street vending, and informal apprenticeships.
These beliefs are often reinforced by the harsh realities of poverty, where families feel compelled to rely on their children’s labour as a perceived means of survival, creating a vicious cycle of deprivation and exploitation.
Way Forward
To accelerate the pace of progress and decisively combat child labour, CHRAJ issued a robust call for the government and all stakeholders to undertake several decisive and integrated steps.
Foremost among these is the urgent need to update and expand national data on child labour through comprehensive and periodic surveys, complemented by robust monitoring systems.
Such an approach is deemed essential for capturing emerging trends, accurately identifying vulnerable groups, and tailoring interventions more effectively.
Furthermore, CHRAJ emphasised that local structures, including Social Welfare Departments and other relevant agencies and institutions, must be adequately empowered and resourced, alongside receiving the necessary training, to effectively detect, report, and manage child labour cases.
The development of a harmonized digital monitoring and response system is also highlighted as critical.
“This system should enable real-time data sharing and coordination among the Ministry of Employment, the Ghana Education Service, CHRAJ, the Labour Department, and key civil society actors. Such integration will significantly improve case tracking, resource allocation, and overall efficiency.”
Dr. Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ
Such integrated functionality, it is argued, would significantly enhance case tracking, optimize resource allocation, and improve overall efficiency in the fight against child labour.
Finally, the Commission advocated for the urgent expansion of social protection programs, such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) initiative.
These schemes, CHRAJ asserted, must be directly linked to education and child welfare services, thereby providing impoverished families with a viable and sustainable alternative to relying on child labour.
Concurrently, CHRAJ recommended that the capacity of law enforcement agencies must be rigorously strengthened to ensure that those who exploit children face tangible and just consequences under the full force of the law, thereby establishing a credible deterrent.
The commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour, a day first launched by the ILO in 2002 to raise global awareness and prompt action, Dr. Joseph Whittal, the Commissioner of CHRAJ, strongly articulated serves as a powerful reminder that while progress has been made, the collective journey towards a child-labour-free world is far from over and demands an unrelenting, accelerated commitment from all sectors of society.
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