Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports
Ghana
Moderate Advancement
In 2022, Ghana made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government significantly increased the number of labor inspectors from 48 to 189 and labor inspections from 749 to 1,108. The government also supported the Alliance on Sustainable Cocoa, which works to improve the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of cocoa production and trade, including by addressing child labor. In addition, it improved its data sharing efforts with non-governmental organizations and other countries by providing timely responses to requests for information. However, children in Ghana are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in fishing and cocoa production. Prohibitions related to the commercial sexual exploitation of children do not meet international standards because protections do not extend to live performances. Ghana also does not prohibit the use of children for illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs. In addition, the government has not acceded to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child's Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. Lastly, resource constraints severely limited the government's ability to adequately enforce labor laws and implement social programs.
Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Ghana.
| Children | Age | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Working (% and population) | 5 to 14 | 13.0 (927,591) |
| Working children by sector | 5 to 14 | |
| Agriculture | 79.2 | |
| Industry | 5.0 | |
| Services | 15.8 | |
| Attending School (%) | 5 to 14 | 89.9 |
| Combining Work and School (%) | 7 to 14 | 13.2 |
| Primary Completion Rate (%) | 93.8 |
Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2018, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023. (1)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS), 2016–2017. (2)
Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.
| Sector/Industry | Activity |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | Producing cocoa, including land clearing, using machetes and cutlasses for weeding, breaking cocoa pods, collecting cocoa pods with a harvesting hook, exposure to pesticides,† and carrying heavy loads† of water (2-9) |
| Production of rice, palm oil and cotton, including weeding, and harvesting (10) | |
| Herding livestock, including cattle, hunting, and work in slaughterhouses (9) | |
| Fishing, including for tilapia; preparing bait, nets, and fishing gear; launching, paddling, and draining canoes; diving for fish; casting and pulling fishing nets and untangling them underwater; sorting, picking, cleaning, smoking, transporting, and selling fish; cleaning and repairing nets; and building and repairing boats (3-5,9-13) | |
| Industry | Quarrying† and small-scale mining,† sometimes for gold, including the use of mercury,† digging in deep pits, crushing rocks by hand, carrying heavy loads,† and operating machinery† (5,7,9,11) |
| Textiles, Manufacturing† (7,8) | |
| Construction and carrying heavy loads (3,7-9) | |
| Services | Domestic work (4,5,9) |
| Transporting heavy loads as kayayei† (5,9,14,15) | |
| Work in transportation† (8) | |
| Street work,† including begging, (5,7,9) | |
| Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡ | Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (3,5,9,16-18) |
| Forced labor in begging; agriculture, including cocoa; herding; fishing; artisanal gold mining; domestic work; and street work, including vending and carrying heavy loads (3,5,9,17-21) | |
| Forced ritual servitude for girls known as trokosi, including in domestic work for priests (16,19) |
† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.
NORC at the University of Chicago released a report detailing findings from a sectoral representative survey conducted in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire during the cocoa harvesting season of 2018–2019. This report found an increase in child labor (and hazardous child labor) in cocoa production during the 10-year timeframe since the survey in 2008–2009. (6) A majority of children who are subjected to human trafficking in Ghana are exploited for labor in cocoa production, domestic work, commercial sexual exploitation, gold mining, and fishing. Children as young as age 4 are subjected to forced labor in fishing in the areas around Lake Volta, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. (5,6,9,19,20,22) In addition, girls as young as age 13 from rural northern regions in Ghana travel to urban centers to work as kayayei, or female porters, carrying heavy loads on their heads in markets, and are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. (5,9,14,15)
According to the Constitution and the Education Act, primary education in Ghana is free from kindergarten through high school, though only compulsory through junior high school, and a birth certificate is not needed for enrollment. (9,23,24) The dual-track system, introduced in 2018, allows secondary school students to attend school in alternating semesters and take advantage of opportunities such as vocational training when they are not in school. (14,25) Although this has significantly increased the overall number of children attending school, reports suggest that opportunities to attend vocational training are often not readily available or affordable. As a result, these children are vulnerable to exploitation in child labor during the times when they are not in school. (2,3,11,16,17,26) In addition, factors such as a shortage of classrooms, administrative fees, expenses for school supplies and uniforms, long distances to schools, the absence of sanitation facilities, overcrowding in urban areas, sexual harassment of girls in schools, physical violence and verbal abuse in schools, and poor educational infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, severely limit access to education for many children. (2,3,5,9,11,19)
Ghana has ratified most key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).
| Convention | Ratification |
|---|---|
| ILO C. 138, Minimum Age | ✓ |
| ILO C. 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor | ✓ |
| UN CRC | ✓ |
| UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict | ✓ |
| UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography | |
| Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons | ✓ |
The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Ghana's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the lack of commercial sexual exploitation prohibitions for live performances.
| Standard | Meets International Standards | Age | Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Age for Work | Yes | 15 | Section 89 and 92 of the Children’s Act (27) |
| Minimum Age for Hazardous Work | Yes | 18 | Section 91 and 92 of the Children’s Act (27) |
| Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children | Yes | Articles 28.1d, 28.2, and 28.5 of the Constitution; Article 7 of the Labor Regulations Legislative Instrument; Sections 91 and 92 of the Children’s Act; Article 58 of the Labor Act (23,27-30) | |
| Prohibition of Forced Labor | Yes | Articles 16.1 and 16.2 of the Constitution; Articles 116 and 117 of the Labor Act; Sections 1–3 and 42 of the Human Trafficking Act; Sections 1 and 2 of the Human Trafficking Prohibition Legislative Instrument (23,28,31,32) | |
| Prohibition of Child Trafficking | Yes | Sections 1 and 2 of the Human Trafficking Act; Sections 1 and 2 of the Human Trafficking Prohibition Legislative Instrument; Articles 21–25 of the Labor Regulations Legislative Instrument (29,31,32) | |
| Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children | No | Sections 101A, 107, 108, 110, 111, 274–277, and 279–283 of the Criminal Offenses Act; Article 7(2) of the Labor Regulations Legislative Instrument; Section 136 of the Electronic Transaction Act; Section 62-66 of the Cybersecurity Act. (29,33-35) | |
| Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities | No | ||
| Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment | Yes | 18 | Ghana Armed Forces General Eligibility (Recruits) (36) |
| Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military | Yes* | Ghana Armed Forces General Eligibility (Recruits) (36) | |
| Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups | No | ||
| Compulsory Education Age | Yes | 15‡ | Article 2.2 of the Education Act (37) |
| Free Public Education | Yes | Article 25.1.a of the Constitution; Articles 1.1, 1.2, and 2.2 of the Education Act (23,37) |
* Country has no conscription (36)
‡ Age calculated based on available information (37)
While Ghana does criminally prohibit the use, procuring, and offering of a child for electronic pornographic performances, the law does not extend to live pornographic performances. In addition, although Ghana has prohibited some hazardous work for children, the current hazardous work list does not cover all occupations or activities in which child labor is known to occur, including in cocoa production. (3,29,38,39) Furthermore, Ghana has not established a law that prohibits the use of children for illicit activities.
The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.
| Organization/Agency | Role & Activities |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations (MELR) | Enforces child labor laws. (14) Conducts national dialogue and a workshop on Child Labor-Free Zones to discuss child labor in the cocoa industry. (3) |
| Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development's District Assemblies | Through labor inspectors, investigates child labor violations, educates employers on compliance with child labor laws, and conducts inspections. (3,9,38) Through social services subcommittees, enforces child labor provisions in the informal sector. (3,27) |
| Ministry of the Interior | Through its Ghana Police Service, investigates, arrests, and prosecutes cases related to the worst forms of child labor, and operates a 24/7 hotline for reporting crimes. (3,9) Within the Ghana Police Service, the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit investigate cases and provide support to survivors. (3,40) Through its Ghana Immigration Service, combats human trafficking through Anti-Human Smuggling and Trafficking Units. (3) |
Labor Law Enforcement
In 2022, labor law enforcement agencies in Ghana took actions to address child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the authority of the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including insufficient resource allocation.
| Overview of Labor Law Enforcement | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Labor Inspectorate Funding | Unknown (5) | Unknown (9) |
| Number of Labor Inspectors | 48 (5) | 189 (9) |
| Mechanism to Assess Civil Penalties | No (28) | No (28) |
| Training for Labor Inspectors Provided | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
| Number of Labor Inspections Conducted at Worksite | 749 (5) | 1,108 (9) |
| Number of Child Labor Violations Found | 0 (5) | 46 (9) |
| Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed | N/A (5) | 14 (9) |
| Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected | N/A (5) | 0 (9) |
| Routine Inspections Conducted | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
| Routine Inspections Targeted | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
| Unannounced Inspections Permitted | Yes (28) | Yes (28) |
| Unannounced Inspections Conducted | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
| Complaint Mechanism Exists | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
| Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
While the labor inspectorate is unable to assess fines for child labor violations, they are able to refer violations to the Ghana Police Services who can issue them for violations. (9,28) Research indicates that Ghana does not have an adequate number of labor inspectors to carry out their mandated duties. () Additionally, research also found that inadequate resources, including funding, transportation, office space, and office supplies hamper the labor inspectorate’s capacity to enforce child labor laws, particularly in the informal sector in which child labor is most common. (3,4,38) In addition, a formal referral mechanism continued to be hindered by the lack of funding, shelter space, and transportation for survivors. (3,4)
Criminal Law Enforcement
In 2022, criminal law enforcement agencies in Ghana took actions to address child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of criminal law enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including insufficient allocation of financial resources.
| Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Training for Criminal Investigators Provided | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
| Number of Investigations | Unknown (5) | 46 (9) |
| Number of Prosecutions Initiated | 16 (5) | 14 (9) |
| Number of Convictions | 3 (5) | 13 (9) |
| Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor | Unknown (5) | Yes (9) |
| Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services | Yes (5) | Yes (9) |
During the reporting period, the government organized 6 consultative stakeholder meetings to review and develop the new national plan of action on the worst forms of child labor; developed a communications strategy for the years 2022–2026 on human trafficking issues; and organized 5 capacity building trainings for over 300 government officials on irregular human trafficking migration patterns, definitions of forced and child labor, and capacity training which supported survivors of human trafficking. (42) However, criminal enforcement agencies lack the resources to properly monitor sectors in which the worst forms of child labor are known to occur. (5,6,9,17,19,43)
The Office of the Attorney General is responsible for prosecuting child trafficking violations. However, there was an insufficient number of state attorneys designated to prosecute human trafficking crimes. A majority of cases were handled by the Ghana Police Service's police prosecutors, whose lack of advanced legal training may impede their ability to prosecute complex criminal cases. (24,44,45) Research also indicates that slow communication and challenges in evidence collection between the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney General's office may have further hampered efforts to prosecute cases of child trafficking. (3) The IOM has also developed a Trafficking in Persons Information System to improve case tracking. While several ministries, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations; the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection; the Ministry of Justice; and the Ministry of the Interior have committed to using this system, research shows that there was limited use of the Trafficking in Persons Information System during the reporting period. (3)
The government has established a key mechanism to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8).
| Coordinating Body | Role & Activities |
|---|---|
| National Steering Committee on Child Labor | Coordinates government efforts to address the worst forms of child labor, and oversees implementation of the National Plan of Action Phase II on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor, which includes implementation of the Ghana Child Labor Monitoring System. (3,46) Led by MELR’s Child Labor Unit, includes representatives from other ministries, employers’ and workers’ organizations, and civil society. (3,46,47) During the reporting period, the committee met on a regular basis and continued anti-trafficking prevention efforts. (9) |
The Inter-Sectoral Standard Operating Procedure for child protection and family welfare provides a harmonized framework of agreed standards, principles, and procedures for all child protection and family welfare stakeholders to understand each other’s roles and responsibilities. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection, it identifies specific procedures for the use of forms, tools, and guides by social services and other key stakeholders, and it holds stakeholders accountable to each other. (4,5)
During the reporting period, the government improved its data sharing efforts with NGOs and other countries by providing child labor figures, specifically those related to freshwater fishing. The information provided informed NGOs of how to better implement their programs. (9)
The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including the lack of a policy to address all worst forms of child labor.
| Policy | Description & Activities |
|---|---|
| 2010 Declaration of Joint Action to Support the Implementation of the Harkin-Engel Protocol and Its Accompanying Framework of Action | Joint Declaration by the Governments of Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and the United States with the International Cocoa and Chocolate Industry. (50,51) Provides resources and coordinates with key stakeholders on efforts to reduce the worst forms of child labor in cocoa-producing areas. (50,51) Ensures that all project efforts implemented under the Declaration and Accompanying Framework align with Ghana’s national action plans to promote coherence and sustainability. (50,51) This strategy includes the Cocoa for Good Strategy, a $500 million investment to make cocoa in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire more sustainable and transparent. In 2022, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, along with EU stakeholders, supported the Alliance on Sustainable Cocoa, which works to improve the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of cocoa production and trade, including by addressing child labor. (52,53) |
‡ The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor. (40,55)
Two new national action plans to address child labor and human trafficking were developed during the reporting period but have yet to be finalized. (9) As a result, Ghana lacks a policy to address all worst forms of child labor. In addition, research was unable to determine whether the Hazardous Child Labor Activity Framework and the Hazardous Child Labor Activity Framework for the Cocoa Sector, which was developed in consultation with workers’ and employers’ organizations to identify hazardous activities that should be prohibited for children, was implemented during the reporting period. (30,39) Moreover, although the government made strides in the implementation of its National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Human Trafficking in Ghana, research indicates that the government relied heavily on NGOs to implement the mandates of this policy. (17)
In 2022, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including inadequate funding and the inadequacy of programs to address the problem in all sectors.
| Program | Description & Activities |
|---|---|
| Industry-Funded Projects | Projects that aim to increase sustainability in the cocoa sector, improve farmer livelihoods, improve access to education, and address the worst forms of child labor in cocoa-growing areas. Some projects may be in support of the World Cocoa Foundation’s CocoaAction (2014–2020) initiative and the spirit of the 2010 Declaration. (56) |
| Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MOGCSP) Programs† | Programs that aim to support vulnerable children. Includes: the Program to Assist Kayayei, which provides rehabilitation and reintegration support; the temporary program "Get Off the Street," which aims to remove children from the street and reintegrate them into family and educational settings; the Human Trafficking Fund, which aims to provide financial support to victims; and the conditional cash transfer program, which aims to provide monetary support to poor households with orphans and vulnerable children on the condition that these children attend school. (57-59) During the reporting period, MOGSCP continued their advocacy efforts through TV and radio campaigns on topics related to child labor and human trafficking. (42) |
| Educational Programs† | Ministry of Education-funded programs under the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education aim to increase school attendance and enrollment. MOGCSP’s Ghana School Feeding Program aims to reduce malnutrition, and improve attendance among students; its Capitation Grant Scheme helps defray the cost of basic education for students in public primary schools; and its Ghana Education Service—Girls’ Education Unit places girls’ education officers at the regional and district levels, and mobilizes communities to enroll more girls in school. (58,60) During the reporting period, the Ghana School Feeding Program fed 3,448,065 pupils in 10,832 public schools. (61) |
For information about USDOL’s projects to address child labor around the world, visit https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/ilab-project-page-search
† Program is funded by the Government of Ghana.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (45)
Although the government worked closely with industry, NGOs, and international organizations to implement child labor programs in cocoa production, fishing, and mining, the breadth of these programs remains insufficient to address the full scope of the problem. (5) Research indicates a lack of funding as one of the primary obstacles in implementing programs to address child labor. (3,5,57) In addition, shelters are needed in additional regions and districts for survivors of the worst forms of child labor, as well as more funding and logistics support for rescue operations and survivor protection. (3,17,19,24)
Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Ghana (Table 11).
| Area | Suggested Action | Year(s) Suggested |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Framework | Accede to the UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography. | 2013 – 2022 |
| Ensure that laws criminally prohibit all forms of commercial sexual exploitation of children, including the use of children in live performances. | 2009 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that laws criminally prohibit the use of children in all illicit activities, including for the production and trafficking of drugs. | 2016 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that the law criminally prohibits the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups. | 2015 – 2022 | |
| Update the hazardous work list for children to cover all hazardous types of work outlined in ILO C. 182. | 2020 – 2022 | |
| Enforcement | Publish information on the amount of funding allocated to the labor inspectorate. | 2009 – 2022 |
| Significantly increase the number of labor inspectors from 189 to 969 to ensure adequate coverage of the labor force. | 2010 – 2022 | |
| Strengthen and fully fund the mechanism to track cases of child labor for referral between law enforcement and social services providers. | 2019 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that labor inspectors and criminal investigators have adequate resources, including office space, transportation, and supplies, to adequately carry out their mandates throughout the country. | 2009 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that prosecutors who have received sufficient legal training oversee and lead the prosecution of cases involving the worst forms of child labor, that an adequate number of state attorneys are available to prosecute cases, and that these cases are prosecuted according to the law. | 2015 – 2022 | |
| Improve communication and coordination among criminal enforcement agencies to prosecute cases of the worst forms of child labor and provide adequate victim support. | 2015 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that the Trafficking in Persons Information System is used and publish any related activities. | 2020 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that criminal enforcement agencies have the resources to properly monitor sectors in which the worst forms of child labor are known to occur. | 2021 – 2022 | |
| Coordination | Ensure that all coordinating bodies are active and able to carry out their intended mandates. | 2013 – 2022 |
| Government Policies | Ensure that activities are undertaken to implement government policies and that data on these activities are published on an annual basis related to child labor. | 2013 – 2022 |
| Finalize National Action Plans to address child labor and human trafficking. | 2022 | |
| Provide necessary resources for the government to implement the mandates of its national policy. | 2022 | |
| Social Programs | Improve access to education by eliminating school-related fees, increasing the number of classrooms, improving access to schools, providing sanitation facilities, and prohibiting sexual harassment and physical violence in schools. | 2010 – 2022 |
| Ensure that opportunities such as vocational training are available to secondary school students enrolled in the dual-track system. | 2019 – 2022 | |
| Ensure that social programs are active and receive sufficient funding to carry out their objectives. | 2014 – 2022 | |
| Expand the availability of government-supported shelter services for child survivors and ensure that all shelters are operational. | 2016 – 2022 | |
| Replicate and expand effective models for addressing exploitative child labor in the cocoa, fishing, and mining sectors. | 2009 – 2022 |
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 15, 2023. For more information, please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
http://data.uis.unesco.org/ - ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Original data from Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS), 2016–2017. Analysis received March 2023. Please see “Children’s Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
- U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. January 14, 2020.
- U.S. Department of State. Reporting. February 25, 2021.
- U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. February 23, 2022.
- NORC at the University of Chicago. Assessing Progress in Reducing Child Labor in Cocoa Growing Areas of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. October 2020. Source on File.
- Government of the Republic of Ghana. National Plan of Action Phase II (NPA2) for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Ghana (2017–2021): Toward Achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8.7. December 2017.
https://www.unicef.org/ghana/reports/national-plan-action-eliminate-worst-forms-child-labour - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) 7 Main Report. June 2019.
http://www.statsghana.gov.gh/gssmain/fileUpload/pressrelease/GLSS7 MAIN REPORT_FINAL.pdf - U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. January 30, 2023.
- Abranoma, Nyarko. Child labor on the rise in fishing, oil palm sector despite decrease in cocoa sector – ICI. Ghana News Agency, November 9, 2018.
https://www.ghanamma.com/2018/11/09/child-labour-on-the-rise-in-fishing-oil-palm-sector-despite-decrease-in-cocoa-sector-ici/ - UN Human Rights Council. Summary of Stakeholders’ submissions on Ghana - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A/HRC/WG.6/28/GHA/3. August 8, 2017.
http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/HRC/WG.6/28/GHA/3&Lang=E - Arkoh, Issac. More than 49,000 children trapped in child labour on Volta Lake. Ghana News Agency, July 29, 2018.
https://www.ghanamma.com/2018/07/29/more-than-49000-children-trapped-in-child-labour-on-volta-lake/ - CBS News. CBS News meets kids caught in the net of modern slavery. CBS Interactive Inc, October 12, 2021.
https://www.yahoo.com/now/cbs-news-meets-kids-caught-135117103.html - U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. February 5, 2019.
- Wemakor, Joseph Kobla. Ending woes of Kayayei in Ghana: A fight we must all strive to win. GhanaWeb, July 11, 2018.
https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Ending-woes-of-Kayayei-in-Ghana-A-fight-we-must-all-strive-to-win-667724# - UN Human Rights Council. Compilation on Ghana - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A/HRC/WG.6/28/GHA/2. August 28, 2017.
http://daccess-ods.un.org/access.nsf/Get?Open&DS=A/HRC/WG.6/28/GHA/2&Lang=E - U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. February 19, 2020.
- U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. March 19, 2021.
- U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2018: Ghana. Washington, D.C., June 28, 2018.
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/282798.pdf - The CNN Freedom Project. CNN exposes child slavery on Ghana's Lake Volta. 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRcVU678UPs - U.S. Embassy- Accra. TIP Reporting. February 7, 2022.
- Government of the Republic of Ghana, Ministry of the Interior. National Migration Policy for Ghana. April 2016.
https://www.mint.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/National_Migration_Policy_for_Ghana.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. Enacted: 1992.
https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Ghana_1996.pdf?lang=en - U.S. Embassy- Accra official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 29, 2020.
- U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. January 29, 2018.
- U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2018: Ghana. Washington, D.C., March 13, 2019.
https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ghana-2018.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. The Children's Act, Act 560. Enacted: September 24, 1998.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/WEBTEXT/56216/65194/E98GHA01.htm - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Labour Act of 2003, Act 651. Enacted: March 31, 2004.
https://www.ilo.org/legacy/english/inwork/cb-policy-guide/ghanalabouract2003section109.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Labour Regulations, 2007 Arrangement of Regulations, L.I. 1833. Enacted: 2007.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/travail/docs/1198/Labour Regulations 2007.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Hazardous Child Labour Activity Framework for Ghana (HAF). Enacted: 2012. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Ghana. Human Trafficking Act, Act 694. Enacted: December 5, 2005.
https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/74422/101249/F630282635/GHA74422.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Human Trafficking Prohibition (Protection and Reintegration of Trafficked Persons) Regulations, L.I. 2219. Enacted: June 22, 2015.
https://www.warnathgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2015-Human-Trafficking-Prohibition-Regulations-L.I.-2219.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Criminal Offenses (Amendment) Act, Act 849. Enacted: June 27, 2012.
http://www.refworld.org/pdfid/44bf823a4.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Electronic Transaction Act, Act 772. 2008.
https://www.researchictafrica.net/countries/ghana/Electronic_Transactions_Act_no_772:2008.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Cybersecurity Act, Act 1038. 2020.
http://ir.parliament.gh/bitstream/handle/123456789/1800/CYBERSECURITY ACT, 2020 (ACT 1038).pdf?sequence=1 - Ghana Armed Forces. General Eligibility (Recruits). Accessed May 4, 2022.
https://ghanadmission.com/ghana-armed-forces-recruitments/ - Government of the Republic of Ghana. The Education Act, Act 778. Enacted: 2008.
https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/MONOGRAPH/83622/92463/F2061259086/GHA83622.pdf - U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2019: Ghana. Washington, D.C., March 11, 2020.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/ - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Hazardous Child Labour Activity Framework for the Cocoa Sector. Enacted: June 2008.
https://www.cocoainitiative.org/sites/default/files/resources/hazardous_ghana_framework_2008.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Child and Family Welfare Policy. Accra: Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, February 2015. Source on file.
- CIA. The World Factbook. Accessed January 19, 2018. Please see "Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/ghana/ - U.S. Embassy- Accra. TIP Reporting. March 9, 2023.
- UNODC. UNODC and Japan Donate Two Patrol Boats to Ghana. July 13, 2018.
https://www.unodc.org/westandcentralafrica/en/2018-07-13_patrol-boats-to-ghana.html#:~:text=Alligator boats donated to the,the country as a whole - U.S. Embassy- Accra official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. July 11, 2019.
- U.S. Embassy- Accra. Reporting. February 13, 2018.
- Government of the Republic of Ghana. Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS). Accra: Ministry Of Employment And Social Welfare, September 2010.
http://www.africanchildforum.org/clr/policy per country/ghana/ghana_labour_2010_en.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana, Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare. Institutional and Management Framework for the National Child Labour Elimination Programme: The National Steering Committee on Child Labour- Terms of Reference. 2010. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Ghana, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations. Pilot Report on Ghana Child Labor Monitoring System (GCLMS). July 2013. Source on file.
- Hanson, Charlotte. Ghana Participates in the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour. May 26, 2022.
https://melr.gov.gh/ghana-participates-in-the-5th-global-conference-on-the-elimination-of-child-labour-by-charlotte-hanson/ - Senator Thomas Harkin, Congressman Eliot Engel, USDOL, Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Government of the Republic of Ghana, and International Cocoa and Chocolate Industry. Framework of Action to Support Implementation of the Harkin-Engel Protocol. Abidjan, September 13, 2010.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/legacy/files/CocoaFrameworkAction.pdf - Senator Thomas Harkin, Congressman Eliot Engel, USDOL, Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Government of the Republic of Ghana, and International Cocoa and Chocolate Industry. Declaration of Joint Action to Support Implementation of the Harkin-Engel Protocol. Abidjan, September 13, 2010.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/legacy/files/GhanaSignedDeclaration.pdf - World Cocoa Foundation. Commitment, Collaboration and Driving Impact in Cocoa Sustainability. September 19, 2022.
https://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/blog/commitment-collaboration-and-driving-impact-in-cocoa-sustainability/ - EU News Article. EU, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and the cocoa sector endorse an Alliance on Sustainable Cocoa. June 28, 2022.
https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-cote-divoire-ghana-and-cocoa-sector-endorse-alliance-sustainable-cocoa-2022-06-28_en - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Minerals and Mining Policy of Ghana. Enacted: November 2014.
https://www.mincom.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Mineral-and-Mining-Policy-Ghana.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana, and Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Joint Declaration of the First Ladies of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire and the Republic of Ghana on the Fight Against Cross-Border Child Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Enacted: September 13, 2016. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Ghana & U.S. Department of Labor. CLCCG REPORT: 2010-2020 Efforts to Reduce Child Labor in Cocoa. August 2020.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/reports/CLCCG-Ten-Year-Report.pdf - Government of the Republic of Ghana. Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report on Ghana - 2017 Responses. January 2018. Source on file.
- Hamel, Reid. A Role for Social Protection Investments to Support Food and Nutrition Security: Lessons from Ghana. February 2018.
https://www.csis.org/analysis/role-social-protection-investments-support-food-and-nutrition-security - UNFPA Ghana. Kayayei Assistance Project Empowers 500 Vulnerable Girls. December 8, 2020.
https://ghana.unfpa.org/en/news/kayayei-assistance-project-empowers-500-vulnerable-girls - Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations. National Employment Policy. November 2014.
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---africa/---ro-abidjan/---ilo-abuja/documents/publication/wcms_373458.pdf - U.S. Embassy - Accra official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 6, 2023.
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