NGO, Ministry Sensitise Assembly Members On Children's Act

By Ernest Best Anane

The Defence for Children International-Ghana (DCI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has sensitised selected assembly members from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly on the Children's Act, to enable them protect the rights of children.

Dr. George Opong, Executive Director of Defence for Children International, at the workshop, explained that the purpose of the educational programme is to enlighten the participants on the content of the child and family welfare policy and the children act, vis-à-vis the role of Assembly.

According to him, the programme is aimed at making a positive impact on the participants in the areas of knowledge or capacity building, how to mobilise resources, and policy making towards the welfare of children.

He expressed worry over the conflicting policies among traditional norms, cultural and religious conflicts with the national legislature, which must underline and effectively resolve to protect the rights of children.

He stated that sometimes lack of resources allocation for the stakeholders or advisory committees for the protection of children from the government to implement effective programmes and policies is not encouraging, hence the need to sensitise the local people within the communities, as where and how to report child abuse issues, and for that matter, the need to empower them.

Pastor Stephen Darfuor, Ashanti Regional Director of the Department of Children, also said the programme is commendable and in the right direction to help curb the abuse of children and protect their rights, especially, the girl child in child labour and early marriages.

According to him, the assembly members are in the communities and could have first-hand information about the happenings in the locality, and should report such to the right authority, and expressed his profound gratitude to the non-governmental organisation (NGO) for its efforts to eliminate the child abuse.

He expressed the need to collaborate with chiefs, queenmothers and all stakeholders, including advisory committees and assembly members, to strengthen efforts to deal with challenges facing children, and also report abusive cases and help people understand what is abuse of a child and their rights

Pastor Darfuor also advised the general public against sending children with parents to orphanages.

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