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The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called for sustained investment and stronger collaboration among stakeholders to strengthen the country’s child protection system and eliminate child labour exploitation.
She said while strong laws and institutions were important, they could achieve their intended outcomes if supported by financing, effective coordination and a shared commitment to safeguarding children’s rights and well-being.
Speaking at the 2026 National Justice Conference in Accra yesterday (July 7), the Minister advocated a diversified financing model in which the government provided leadership through national planning and public investment, while development partners and other stakeholders complemented such efforts through technical support, service delivery and responsible business practices.
The conference, organised by the International Justice Mission (IJM), brought together policymakers, development partners, traditional leaders, law enforcement agencies and child protection advocates to discuss sustainable solutions to end child labour exploitation.
It was on the theme “Sustainable Funding for Child Protection Against Labour Exploitation.”
Dr Lartey commended development partners, including the IJM, UNICEF and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), for supporting the country’s efforts to improve child protection systems, public awareness and policy reforms.
The West Africa Programmes Director of IJM, Anita Budu, called for effective coordination among institutions to help eliminate duplication, maximise the impact of limited resources and deliver better outcomes for children.
She said their partnership with stakeholders had helped to realise some achievements such as the continuous rollout of the social welfare information management system (SWIMS), support for the Child Labour Unit to enhance data collection and reporting, and improvements in the Ghana Police Service’s data management systems.
The Regional President for Africa and Europe at the International Justice Mission (IJM), Andy Griffiths, commended the country for making significant strides in combating human trafficking through stronger prosecutions, increased arrests of traffickers, sustained national attention to child protection and the establishment of the Human Trafficking Fund.
He, however, urged the government to fully resource the Fund to ensure it supports survivors, frontline responders and the broader child protection system.
The Head of Service at the Office of the Head of Local Government Service, Professor Lord Mensah, proposed mainstreaming child protection into district assembly budgets, strengthening public-private partnerships and promoting community-based financing models.
He also urged the private sector to prioritise child protection through corporate social responsibility initiatives, while encouraging traditional leaders, faith-based organisations and local cooperatives to mobilise resources to support vulnerable children.
The Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Human Rights, Ernest Anim, called for the establishment of a dedicated Child Protection Fund to strengthen efforts to combat child labour exploitation and safeguard the rights of vulnerable children across the country.
He explained that although the recently enacted Social Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1148), provides for a Social Protection Fund to support vulnerable groups, there was an urgent need for a dedicated funding mechanism focused specifically on child protection.
