Cape Coast-Ghana, July 4, GNA – The Department of Children has called for the ratification of conventional protocols to increase children protection in the country.
It said the high internet penetration rate had increased sexual explicit materials both online and offline and that called for the ratification of the Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Rights of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
Mr Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi, the Director of Research at the Department of Children, at the Central Regional Child Protection engagement for the first and second quarter, noted that most children were at risk due to access to internet which had become problematic issues regarding their safety.
He stated that a cross-sectional convergent parallel mixed method used to study 5,024 children aged eight to 17 years indicated that more males than females had been exposed to pornography, with the prevalence of exposure among children aged eight to 17 being slightly less than four in ten.
The study revealed a strong link between children’s sex, age, and exposure to pornography, however, the findings, both qualitative and quantitative, suggested that pornography was either intentionally or unintentionally accessed by children in the country.
Also, anecdotal evidence suggested that child prostitution persisted in various parts of the country such as the capitals of Ashanti, Eastern, Central and Greater Accra regions as well as some fishing communities.
Mr Kyei-Gyamfi said Ghana signed onto the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on January 29, 1989 and subsequently ratified it on February 5, 1990 which after ratification had several measures taken to give effect to its obligations under the convention.
The CRC had three Optional Protocols namely; Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC), Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC), and Optional Protocol on a communications procedure.
The three protocols are optional and therefore State Parties (SPs) to the Convention are not obliged to fulfill the requirements until ratified.
Ghana has signed all these three protocols but has only ratified the Optional Protocol on Children Involved in Armed Conflict.
Mr Kyei-Gyamfi noted that the country after ratification would have the advantage to join 178 countries who had ratified the protocol and made international cooperation in addressing the sale of children, child pornography and child prostitution more easier.
The ratification would help boost efforts to address issues surrounding children safety and strengthen laws, policies which for-see children protection in the country.
Though the protocols needed ratification, the Director of Research appealed to parents to be vigilant and supervise their children wisely on the usage of the internet for their safety.
He said the world was changing and children were smart and intelligent, therefore parents needed to go the extra mile to ensure the usage of internet and technologies did not affect the safety and protection of their children.
Mr Kyei-Gyamfi advised children to act responsibly with the usage of internet and allow themselves to be supervised for their own wellbeing and growth.
Reverend Samuel Antwi, the Chairman of the Regional Child Protection Committee, underscored the need to ratify the protocols to increase efforts to protect the Ghanaian child.
He said Ghana being part of the international community would help ensure strong collaboration to tackle the issues to the barest minimum.
Ms Grace Kensah, an Assistant Programmes Officer of the Department, noted that the meeting was to solicit support and ideas from the stakeholders to adopt the ratification for effective protocol implementation.
She outlined various programmes and initiatives undertaken by the committee to help increase children’s protection in the Region.
They include radio engagement and sensitization, mentorship and public education.
The Department commended the committee for their immense support and contribution towards child protection in the Region.
