Ghana Must Boost Child Protection Funding to Combat Labour Exploitation, Conference Urged

Government officials, lawmakers, civil society organisations and development partners have warned that inadequate funding threatens Ghana's ability to combat child labour exploitation and trafficking. The warning came at the National Justice Conference held in Accra, which brought together key players in child protection to discuss long-term financing solutions for vulnerable children.

International Justice Mission's West Africa Programme Director Anita Budu told delegates that sustainable funding is now an urgent necessity rather than a future goal. She stressed that even well-designed interventions cannot be expanded or institutionalised without reliable financial commitment. Ms Budu highlighted how child trafficking and labour exploitation continue to grow in complexity, placing strain on already under-resourced systems.

Progress has been made in recent years, including the rollout of the Social Welfare Information Management System (SWIMS) with UNICEF support and improved data collection by the Ministry of Labour's Child Labour Unit. The Ghana Police Service has also strengthened its data management systems to better identify and respond to exploitation cases.

The conference, which brought together the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, emphasised that effective child protection requires collaboration across government agencies, civil society, traditional leaders, survivors and international partners.

Discussions are expected to focus on policy direction and financing mechanisms to ensure child protection interventions are adequately funded and sustained across Ghana.