Accra: The Government has made significant strides in child protection this year, with five major bills and policies advanced through Cabinet. The policies are the Early Childhood Care and Development Policy, Domestic Violence Policy, Children's Amendment Bill, Children and Young Persons Justice Administration Bill, and Domestic Abuse Bill.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, stated that the reforms aim to strengthen the legal framework for child protection, improve justice delivery for children in conflict with the law, and tackle all forms of abuse. She emphasized this during the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday.
Dr Lartey underscored that child protection could not be achieved through laws alone, highlighting the necessity for support from parents, community leaders, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders. "Our child protection efforts cannot be ended with law alone; community support remains critical to sustaining the gains made," she noted.
Beyond the bills and policies, government interventions have directly impacted the lives of children, with 291 vulnerable children receiving care, counselling, and education across five residential and subvented homes nationwide. A nationwide child rights awareness campaign has also reached 1,168,278 Ghanaians, sensitising communities on child protection, responsible parenting, and the dangers of child marriage.
Regarding teenage pregnancy, Dr Lartey acknowledged improvements but noted ongoing challenges, particularly along the coast, due to factors like the unaffordability of sanitary pads. She expressed hope that the President's initiative to distribute sanitary pads to schoolgirls would help reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy.
Dr Lartey highlighted the Ghana Education Service's re-entry policy, which ensures that pregnant girls can return to school after childbirth, marking an end to their exclusion from education. However, she stressed the importance of citizens reporting cases of abuse and other violations to the Ministry, as legal reforms alone are insufficient.
To facilitate reporting, the Ministry has initiated the Single Window Citizens' Engagement Service, which has received 520 grievance cases and resolved 364. Despite some Ghanaians benefiting from the service, awareness remains limited, necessitating increased sensitisation. Dr Lartey encouraged citizens to use the toll-free lines, 0800 800 800 and 0800 0900 0900, to report abuse cases and seek protection.