The International Justice Mission (IJM), a global non-profit organization, has organized training for journalists in the Northern , Savannah and North East regions on ending child trafficking in the various regions.
IJM focuses on the trafficking of children in the fishing industry and strengthening the capacity of stakeholders of the justice system to respond both sustainably and effectively to human(child) trafficking and forced labour.
The International Justice Mission’s Operations & Advocacy Specialist, Victor Atipaga, who took journalists through the training, said IJM recognized the need to build the capacity of journalists to effectively carry out the task of fighting against child trafficking in the country.
Journalists were taking through guidelines in reporting crime(child trafficking), Act 560 & child protection policy and the role of journalists in Northern region in combating child trafficking.
He revealed that IJM has collaborated with the Ghana Police Service to rescue children from forced labour in the fishing industry, especially on the Volta lake.
Mr. Atipaga urged journalists to increase their reportages on child trafficking related issues to help end the menace in the regions.
In 2003, the Ghana Child Labor Survey Report published by the Ghana Statistical Service
(GSS) revealed that over 49,000 children were involved in the fishing industry in Ghana.
About 25% of the children were 5?9 years of age, 41% were 10?14 years of age, and 34% were 15?17 years of age.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale