The Fight Against Human Trafficking: Is Ghana taking Vigorous Actions?

Trafficking in persons is an international problem affecting millions of people and many countries around the world. Every year, thousands of women, men and children fall victims to people who have made trafficking of persons into a profit-making business. This can happen inside or outside one's country. Human trafficking business goes on in nearly every country in the world, whether as a source, transit or destination country.

Ghana is considered as a source, transit and destination country for women, men, girls and boys subjected to human trafficking in persons, specifically for forced labour and forced prostitution and has been classified on the “Tier 2 Watch List” according to the 2016 Trafficking in Persons Report. Social development trends in Ghana are not moving with the urgency needed to address the magnitude of inequality, thereby affecting negatively the ability of the poor to find meaningful livelihoods.

Many international reports have shown that Ghana has not taken vigorous actions to deal with human trafficking though in recent times the country has increased its attention towards solving this problem. The country has signed onto relevant international conventions and protocols on Anti-Trafficking and has passed the Human Trafficking Act (694) in 2005. There have also been training for law enforcement officials and the government took steps to establish four regional anti-trafficking units to manage cases more effectively at the regional level. In addition, there is a Human Trafficking Secretariat in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to implement national policies and actions on counter-Trafficking in persons. In spite of all these measures, trafficking in persons, especially women, girls, boys and other vulnerable groups is on the ascendancy.

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Speaking at an event organized by Abantu for Development with support from Urgent Action Fund Africa, the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Otiko Afisah Djaba mentioned that the Human Trafficking Secretariat faces huge challenges in combating Human Trafficking. She said, inadequate staff to execute Human Trafficking activities with currently 2 staff instead of 26. She stated the following as some of the key challenges;

Family tracing and reintegration is not carried out according to best practices due to inadequate logistics and funding

Ignorance and lack of attitudinal change on the part of parents, guardians and sometimes opinion leaders

The presence of unlicensed recruitment Agencies who work in the dark

Though sensitization is ongoing, some guardians still think it is not an offence to traffic children and put them in exploitative labour.

Most victims of trafficking are not willing to testify against their parents and relations

Abantu for Development's forum was under the theme “Strengthening Advocacy Against Trafficking of Young Girls in Ghana” and the purpose was to engage key stakeholders on the need for action to counter trafficking in girls and women and also understand the nature, form and methodology of human trafficking, especially of the vulnerable.

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There are a lot of factors or commitments that should push Ghana to be very vigorous in the issues of Human Trafficking. The first one is the level of Ghana’s interest in the SDGs and the fact that the President is also a co-chair of the UN’s Eminent Advocates on the SDGs. This universally adopted sustainable development agenda has clearly pointed out the need to “eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation” (SDG 5.2) and also “Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies" (SDG 10.7). Again, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in July 2017, named the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as the “AU Gender Champion” in recognition of his efforts in gender equality at continental level.