CELEBRATION OF THE 2022 AU DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD

The Department of Children under the auspices of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has successfully commemorated the ‘2022 A.U (African Union) Day of the African Child’ on Thursday 16th June, 2022 in Accra.
This year’s celebration is under the theme “Eliminating Harmful Practices Affecting Children: Progress on Policy and Practices since 2013”.
The “Day of the African Child” (DAC) is celebrated on the 16th of June of every year to commemorate the 1976 students’ uprising in Soweto, South Africa against an apartheid regime that had skewed education towards the white minority.
In light of the above, the objectives for this year’s celebration are:

1. To undertake a national assessment on the status of the legislation and policy frameworks and their implementation to address harmful cultural practices against children;
2. To sensitize communities to engage children in all efforts implemented towards addressing harmful cultural practices affecting them
3. To mobilize partnership among stakeholders, including UN agencies, CSO’s, children’s representatives, traditional leaders, the media and academia to work towards the elimination of harmful practices against children in Ghana.
4. To create platforms to share experience among stakeholders for a joint continental action against harmful practices. It can inform more effective policies and programmes to address harmful cultural practices.
   Speaking on behalf of the Chief Director of MoGCSP, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, the Director for the Department of Children, Mrs. Florence Ayisi Quartey said the pervasiveness of harmful cultural and social practices continues to violate the rights of children especially from fully enjoying the basic rights set out, in the African Children’s Charter.
   She urged all to participate and make inputs aimed at addressing issues hindering the development of children especially that of harmful cultural practices.
   On behalf of the Caretaker Minister of MoGCSP and Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah said Ghana is very committed to ensuring that children freely access their rights.
   According to her, this year’s theme is focused to commit member states to undertake assessments of the legislative and policy frameworks established since 2013, and also to mobilize partnership among stakeholders to work towards the elimination of harmful cultural practices against children in Africa.
   She mentioned that child marriage prevalence in Ghana currently stands at a rate of 19 percent thus 1 in 5 girls marry before their 18th birthday while 5% were first married or in union before age 15. She added that, there is the need for a nationwide drive to strategize and coordinate efforts on ending child marriage.
   Dr. Afisah Zakariah said, Government has organized outreach programmes across the country using the Child Protection Community Toolkit to sensitize the public on the impact of child marriage on the nation.
   According to her, another troubling cultural practice that has heaped serious harm on Ghanaian children is Female Genital Mutilation.
   She said in efforts to address this problem is the amendment of the Criminal Code Act introducing Section 69A which makes FGM a second degree felony and the perpetrator liable on conviction to imprisonment of not less than three years.
   Dr. Afisah Zakariah however highlighted on the increased awareness on disability with community members trained as child rights advocates. She said, families have also been educated on how to care for children with disability and physiotherapy has been provided to help improve the quality of life for children living with disabilities.
   The Chief Director added that the Ministry together with Ministry of Local Government, Ghana Health Service and the National Health Insurance Authority has initiated an Integrated Social Services (ISS) Operational project in the past and is for strengthening social services’ implementation and streamlining of operations as well as increasing complementarity and efficient service delivery to the vulnerable and excluded. That, the ISS operates in 100 districts in Ghana and it is expected to be expanded to 40 more this year, she noted.
   Plan International Ghana Country’s Director, Mr. Solomon TesfaMariam made a call on all to stand strong for every African Child especially now as challenges posed by COVID-19 and its associated effects has placed some effects on children’s education, health and the mental health .
   He urged all relevant stakeholders to continue in their commitment in accelerating protection, empowerment and equal opportunities to the children of this Nation to enable them enjoy their rights to the fullest.
   In a statement read on behalf of Ghanaian Children, Delight Emefa Matina-Amegbanu and Agnes Awen from the SOS Children’s Villages, called on all stakeholders to come on board and be advocates to stop harmful cultural practices against children.
   They were also encouraged to continue supporting child issues in order to keep up the battle against harmful practices that affect children to make the world a better place for them.
   This year’s celebration took the form of a Results Forum as the Ministry and its partners gave an overview of interventions over the period along with the successes, challenges and way forward.
   Participants were encouraged by the Ministry to join Ghanaians Against Child Abuse (GACA) Initiative, visit the website www.iamgaca.org and social media pages of GACA Ghana on Facebook and Instagram to pledge to help put an end to harmful cultural practices.
   In addition, all were encouraged by the Chief Director of MoGCSP, Dr. Afisah Zakariah to contact the toll-free numbers 0800111222, 0800800800 and 0800900900 to report all harmful cultural practices as well as to the Police and trusted elderly persons. She added that the Ministry has a dedicated child support team at the Orange Support Centre and the Single Window Call Centre which will refer cases to appropriate services including shelter for victims.
   The commemoration of the DAC 2022 presents Ghana an opportunity to take stock of what has been done with regards to the adoption of policies and practices and reflect on what more needs to be done to effectively eliminate harmful cultural practices affecting children.
   The occasion further presents us an opportunity to review the status of harmful cultural practices affecting Ghanaian children and assess where we are towards the protection and assistance of children who are at risk and victims of harmful practices.
   These reviews and assessments inform us and our relevant stakeholders who are working in the area of children’s rights, protection and development to reinforce our efforts in addressing obstacles related to harmful practices affecting children.