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The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, has called for more decisive action in the fight against human trafficking, despite the progress made over the years.
She said that, although notable successes have been achieved, including the operationalisation of shelters for adults and children, as well as transit shelters which have been instrumental in supporting victims who often serve as key witnesses during prosecutions, there remains more to be done.
She observed that although the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report by the US Department of State kept Ghana’s Tier Two ranking, indicating notable progress in prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnerships, there is still much work to be done.
The minister made the call in a speech read on her behalf by the Chief Director, Dr Afisah Zakariah, recently to officially launch the 2025 Blue Day commemoration in Accra.
The event brought together representatives from the European Union in Ghana, development partners, heads of departments and agencies, law enforcement bodies, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media to engage in dialogue on the need for decisive and collaborative action to combat human trafficking.
The launch focused on the role of Parliament and the media in addressing human trafficking, contextualising the Human Trafficking Act and included panel discussions on the law's impact over the past 20 years.
The theme for the event was "The Human Trafficking Law at 20: The Journey So Far in Ghana."
She announced that on July 30, the ministry will join the global community to commemorate the 2025 World Day Against Human Trafficking—also known as Blue Day, with a series of activities to raise awareness of the dangers of human trafficking.
The minister said, "There is a lot more to be done in a decisive way to combat human trafficking.
Victims are enslaved and their dignity and freedom are taken away from them.
Ghanaian women and men are recruited by unscrupulous fraudulent agencies who entice them with offers of well-paying jobs in domestic service or the hospitality industry in the Middle East where they are abused, raped, tortured, disgraced, and reduced to nothing," she said.
"Some have mental health issues as a result and lose their dignity, respect, and everything they work for in life to traffickers and their exploiters.
Many have reported being deceived, overworked, starved, molested, and/or forced into prostitution and sleeping with countless men," she stressed.
The Gender Minister also stated that the theme was intended to highlight the relentless efforts of the partners in policy planning, building institutional capacity, law enforcement, and educational programmes, all of which have greatly contributed to combating human trafficking.
“Leaving no one behind also means acknowledging the courage of survivors.
Their stories of pain and resilience must inform our laws, policies, and programmes.
It means building systems that are trauma-informed, survivor-led and rooted in dignity," she said.
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender, Helen Ntoso, stated that the committee remained committed to ensuring the effective implementation and enforcement of the Human Trafficking Act to protect women and girls.
She emphasised that, although significant progress had been made over the past 20 years in tackling human trafficking in Ghana, challenges still remain.
"We must continue to work together to identify new approaches and solutions to this complex issue."
What we are doing as Parliament is strengthening laws and policies to prevent and respond to human trafficking.
We also enhance collaboration and coordination among stakeholders," she said.
She commended the ministry for its efforts in combating the menace of human trafficking and assured that the committee will continue to advocate its eradication.
