Ghanaian Journalists have been reminded to utilise the tools available to them, such as legislation to expose the ills of child trafficking and push for the perpetrators to be brought to book.
Among the legislation available to journalists which can be used for the protection of child-aged 18 and below are; the National Youth Policy, the Child and Family Welfare Policy, the Trafficking in Persons Report, the Standard Operating Procedures to Combat Human Trafficking in Ghana and of cause Ghana’s 1992 Constitution among other laws and policies.
The reminder was given during a training organised by the British Embassy in Accra to equip Journalists with the requisite tools on how to communicate effectively when tackling stories on Child Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking.
The facilitators, Charlotte Jamieson and Kip Gibbens came from the Child Trafficking Advice Centre (CTAC), of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children(NSPCC), based in the United Kingdom.
Charlotte and Kip impressed upon the journalists that “every childhood is worth fighting for”, and therefore they should consider it a mandate as well a responsibility to educate society by telling the stories of victims of child trafficking and also investigate the factors that nurture and promote the crime, so that the trafficking kingpins can be fished out and dealt with according to law, and that would mean “justice for the children”.
One area that makes it difficult to prosecute child trafficking and sexual exploitation cases according to the facilitators is documentation of evidence, according to them, if the evidence is not collected accurately, the case cannot be admissible in court and therefore will defeat the goal of getting child trafficking culprits punished.
Here, journalists were cautioned to ensure that their work does not interfere or impede the justice process for victims of child trafficking.
At the end of the training, the participants said the session had been insightful.
A participant from the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Yvonne Atilego said she was happy to have been part of the team, more especially she has gained more understanding into the importance of “collaboration, that is working together with the responsible agencies to protect children during the reportage on child trafficking”.
By Rebecca Ekpe
