On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) held the media launch of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, also known as Blue Day.
The event occurred under the theme: “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking.”
The media launch focused on honouring the UN Day Against Human Trafficking, scheduled for July 30, 2024.
The event aimed to enhance Ghana’s coordinated efforts and create a platform for awareness-raising campaigns and sensitization on the dangers associated with all forms of exploitation.
In her statement, the Chief Director for the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, Dr. Afisah Zakariah, emphasized this year’s theme highlighting the critical importance of child protection and inclusion.
She noted that Regulation 7 of the Human Trafficking Legislative Instrument mandates the Ministry to educate all segments of society, as Ghana serves as a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking.
She underscored the necessity for the Ministry to enhance awareness and community sensitization efforts to combat the menace of human trafficking.
The Chief Director expressed profound gratitude to sponsors for their collaboration and support in the fight against human trafficking, urging everyone to join the campaign to eliminate all forms of exploitation.
Stakeholders present at the event called for continuous proactive enforcement of laws to prevent child trafficking, prosecute perpetrators and provide comprehensive support services for survivors.
As part of the launch, inter-school debates were held among some junior and senior high schools on the topic of human trafficking.
Tesano 1 Junior High School (JHS) and Accra Academy Senior High School (SHS) emerged victorious in the Human Trafficking Inter-Schools Debate for the 1st Cycle Schools and 2nd Cycle Schools, respectively.
The debate topics were “Sport can be an avenue for human trafficking” and “If I desire to play professional football or any sporting activity, I am vulnerable to human trafficking.”
The winning schools each received a plaque, a computer, and 100 exercise books. Tesano JHS won against Police Depot JHS with a score of 74.6, while Accra Academy SHS defeated Odorgonno SHS with a score of 91.
