The Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection(MoGCSP) in collaboration with the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) and other partners commemorated the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (Blue Day) on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 at the Accra Academy Senior High School.
The commemoration of the day was to create awareness with a call on the youth who want to pursue football careers to research and ensure they are not trafficked through football.
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is commemorated to raise awareness on the dangers associated with human trafficking.
The day is important due to the fact that, in 2010, the United Nations General Assembly chose 30th July during the adoption of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and to remember victims all over the world.
The Blue Day also shows compassion to victims.
This year’s global campaign for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons which urges accelerated action to end child trafficking, was on the theme,”Leave No Child Behind in the fight against human trafficking”.
Children represent a significant proportion of trafficking victims worldwide, with girls being disproportionately affected.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (GLOTIP), children are twice as likely to face violence during trafficking than adults.
Child trafficking violates their rights and denies children their ability to reach their full potential while Human trafficking is also a harsh reality affecting millions of children worldwide, perpetuating modern-day slavery and subjecting victims to exploitative and abusive conditions.
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The Chief Director at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Afiasah Zakariah noted that as part of the implementation of the National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Human Trafficking in Ghana, the Ministry was embarking on preventive measures to curb the menace through thematic areas.
She said this year, the focus is on sports and human trafficking as sporting and its related activities can offer such opportunities for traffickers to take advantage of our youth.
That, she said, is to ensure that no one falls victim to exploitation while pursuing their sporting dreams.
“As a Ministry, one of our core mandates is to identify vulnerabilities and implement measures to mitigate them,” She said.
Dr Afiasah Zakariah took notice of instances where people pose as agents promising the youth in sport lucrative clubs and prospects only to deceive them, rob them of huge sums of money and end up being exploited in various countries of destination.
Again, she observed that supporters and fans are also deceived during international sporting events as a means of migrating and end up being scammed.
“We urge young people to brighten their futures through sports, but we also caution them against unscrupulous individuals who may prey on their aspirations,” she cautioned.
To parents, she also advised them to beware and vigilant of such people who take advantage of children who want to pursue football careers.
For her part, the Head of Human Trafficking Unit at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Abena Annobea Asare also underscored the need to create awareness to curb the menace.
She noted that the security agencies are doing their best and therefore citizens must also help to report cases of human trafficking when they hear or know about it.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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