By Samuel Ofori Boateng, GNA
Kwase Komfo (E/R) Sept. 03, GNA – The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has undertaken a field monitoring exercise in the Abuakwa South Municipality in the Eastern Region, to assess the situation of child labour, child marriage and the implementation of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
The exercise, conducted in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), forms part of efforts to strengthen oversight and improve the protection of children and vulnerable households.
On the third day of the monitoring exercise, the Committee and its partners focused on the Kwesi Komfo community in the municipality, where they engaged community members and other stakeholders to gain first-hand information about the challenges confronting children and families.
Mr Ernest Yaw Anim, Chairman of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Kumawu in the Ashanti Region, said the engagement was aimed at understanding the realities on the ground and identifying gaps in interventions designed to protect children and support vulnerable households.
He said the Committee was particularly interested in understanding the factors contributing to child labour and child marriage, as well as assessing whether the LEAP programme was achieving its intended objectives among beneficiary households.
Mr Anim explained that, child labour and child marriage were both human rights and development concerns, with poverty, school dropout, limited livelihood opportunities and harmful social norms often contributing to the vulnerability of children.
He said the Committee therefore, considered it important to engage communities directly rather than relying solely on reports and institutional assessments.
According to him, the field exercise would enable Parliament and its partners to better understand the circumstances confronting children and vulnerable families and determine where additional interventions might be required.
He said effective child protection required coordinated action among the Municipal Assembly, government agencies, traditional authorities, community leaders, civil society organisations and development partners.
Hon. Ernest Yaw Anim said Parliament, through its oversight mandate, would continue to monitor the implementation of government policies and social intervention programmes to ensure that they produced tangible results for the people.
He said the Committee would pay particular attention to the extent to which LEAP was reducing household vulnerability, supporting children’s continued participation in school and helping to prevent children from being exposed to exploitation and other harmful practices.
He stressed that addressing child labour and child marriage required more than enforcement and awareness creation, noting that, the socio-economic conditions that pushed families into vulnerability also needed to be addressed.
Mr Anim said the objective of the engagement was to listen to community members, identify challenges and gaps in existing interventions, and contribute to the development of practical and sustainable solutions.
The engagement at Kwesi Komfo provided an opportunity for the Committee and its collaborating partners to interact with community members and gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of children and vulnerable households.
The findings from the monitoring exercise are expected to inform further parliamentary oversight and engagements with relevant institutions on measures to strengthen child protection and social protection interventions in the Abuakwa South Municipality.
The exercise forms part of broader efforts by Parliament and its partners to ensure that children are protected from hazardous labour, child marriage and other practices that undermine their rights, dignity, education and prospects.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Kenneth Odeng Adade