![\"ici-trains-journalists-on-child-labour-issues-1\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ICI-Trains-Journalists-on-Child-Labour-Issues-1-1024x680.jpg\")
<\/p>\nA three-day workshop organised by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists\u2019 Association (GJA), camped journalists at Assin Fosu in the Central Region, to equip them with requisite knowledge on the concept of child labour in the cocoa sector, and their role in its elimination.<\/p>\n
The journalists, drawn from Accra and within Assin Fosu, were also schooled on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) to aid in their effective reportage of the nationwide menace.<\/p>\n
The Deputy Country Coordinator of ICI, Prince Gyamfi, addressing the over twenty participating journalists, lamented the ineffective implementation of laws protecting children, citing politics as the major cause.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe fact that Ghana has ratified various international conventions and enacted laws on the rights of children does not translate to the enjoyment of these laws in Ghana. There are thousands of children whose rights are being violated as these are our future leaders. We don’t have to continue to just make laws, we must ensure they work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany politicians consider whether or not they would be voted for after they see to the enforcement of laws protecting children against child labour. Many of them also think child labour does not exist; yet these are the very people who must enforce the laws. Then again, the institutions and agencies mandated to enforce these laws are also weak. They lack the capacity and resources to do their work. So these are some of the things that prevent the implementation of these policies.\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
One of the participating journalists, Akosua of Rich FM in Assin Fosu, speaking to citifmonline.com<\/strong> after the workshop, said the program was helpful.<\/p>\n \u201cThis program has been very helpful to me in the sense that although I know about child labour, I didn’t really know the difference between child labour and child work, but now I know that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Another journalist, Apostle, of Splash FM also in Assin Fosu, said ICI must be lauded for the workshop.<\/p>\n \u201cThe International Cocoa Initiative has really done well. They have taught us how we can report on child labour and we’ve been able to differentiate between child labour and child work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n A third journalist, Raissa, who is with the Ghanaian Times newspaper in Accra, stressed on the need for the government to play its role in the eradication of child labour throughout Ghana.<\/p>\n \u201cThis workshop has been very beneficial because despite the fact that I know what child labour is, I have realised how serious the issue is. I want to appeal to authorities to implement policies that will help reduce child labour in this country because having 1.9 million child labourers in Ghana alone is heart-breaking. Children are our future leaders and so it is very important that government addresses the issue of child labour in this country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Akosua Ofewaa Opoku\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A three-day workshop organised by the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists\u2019 Association (GJA), camped journalists at Assin Fosu in the Central Region, to equip them with requisite knowledge on the concept of child labour in the cocoa sector, and their role in its elimination. The journalists, drawn from Accra and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[1566,3,1567],"yoast_head":"\n![\"ici-trains-journalists-on-child-labour-issues-2\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/ICI-Trains-Journalists-on-Child-Labour-Issues-2-1024x680.jpg\")
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