ComCA Ghana TRAINS HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DELIGENCE COMMITTEE TO HALT FORCED AND CHILD LABOR IN COCOA AND MINING COMMUNITIES IN WASSA AMENFI WEST.

ComCA Ghana TRAINS HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DELIGENCE COMMITTEE TO HALT FORCED AND CHILD LABOR IN COCOA AND MINING COMMUNITIES IN WASSA AMENFI WEST. 

Story By: SIR RICH.

(EMMANUEL ADDOWAH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ComCA Ghana) 

A seminar aimed at equipping an established Gender Sensitive Human Rights Due Deligence (HRDD) committee with the requisite knowledge and skills to tackle the increasing incidences of forced and child labor in Cocoa and mining communities the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality has been held at Asankrangwa.

Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. The committee is tasked to monitor the wellbeing of children in Cocoa and mining communities in the Municipality. 

Aowin  based Community Change Alliance (ComCA Ghana) is implementing the project in conjunction with the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), and Rainforest Alliance as the main project partner to NORAD. 

Participants were members of the gender sensitive Human Rights Due Deligence ( HRDD) Committees established in  Low-cost, Aboi Nkwanta, Asankrangwa, Wassa Dunkwa, Afiena, Oda Kotoamso, Jordan, Oda Krofrom, Kwabeng and Asankran Odumase. 

The impact of forced and child labor in the selected Cocoa and Mining Communities in the Wassa Amenfi West Municipality keeps increasing. The situation threatens the psychological, emotional and physical development growth of children and needs prompt attention by the governing authorities.  

Speaking at the seminar, the Executive Director of  COmCA Ghana, Emmanuel OB  Addowah, urged stakeholders in children development to walk the talk towards the fight against the perennial forced and child labor situation in the Amenfi West Municipality.  

He also appealed to the media, traditional authorities, Municipal and district Assemblies (MMDAs) to implement pragmatic measures in creating awareness on child labor , child development, importance of child rights, undertake community surveillance , identify and assess children at risk of forced and child labor.