Many children are being abused in various settings - homes, schools, used as domestic help and some forced into servitude simply because they are orphans or lack a caring family. According to the Ghana: Trafficking in Persons Report 2016 published by the United States Department of State, Ghana continues to be a source, transit and destination country for human trafficking. The exploitation of children within the country is more prevalent than the transnational trafficking. The report further highlights that both boys and girls are being trafficked into forced labour, such as fishing, domestic service, street hawking, begging, head-portering, artisanal gold mining, quarrying, herding and agriculture. Ghanaian girls, and to a lesser extent boys, are also subjected to sex trafficking which exists nation-wide; but is most prevalent in the Volta Region and is growing in the oil-producing Western Region.

This year's theme for the International Children’s Day, “Children are taking over and turning the world blue”, is particularly relevant to our focus as a child-centred and family-based care Alliance. Not only does it bring our attention to the universal focus where every child is safe from harm, but it also presents a unique opportunity to ensure that the fight against the abuse of children in Ghana is fully addressed through concerted effort.

To address the highlighted challenges, there is the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships to:

• provide public sensitization and eliminate the threat of child trafficking by creating an environment that is a disincentive to all persons involved in trafficking;

• increase public awareness and facilitate a deeper understanding of family-based care and adoption issues;
• enhance social protection for high-risk communities as a strategy to enable them take good care of children;
• enforce necessary laws and policies to address the abuse of children; and
• accelerate the ongoing national reforms and efforts at protecting children from harm and providing safe spaces for their growth and development.

Every child must be able to achieve their noble aspiration, which includes opportunities to develop holistically.