Accra, Jan. 19, GNA - The International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with Enslavement Prevention Alliance West Africa (EPAWA) an anti-Trafficking NGO on Saturday launched the 'Red-Card' campaign to combat trafficking of women and children. The red card campaign is a symbolic representation of cards handed over by referees to people with serious violation of rules in a game as in violation of human rights, especially during the tournament. Mr Matthew Dally, National Programme Coordinator for ILO said the move was also to say no to trafficking in women and children for exploitative Labour during, before and after CAN 2008.

He said it was estimated that about 1.2 million children were trafficked annually out of which 200,000 occurred in Africa. It is also estimated that in West Africa, between 200,000 to 800,000 people were trafficked each year.

Mr Dally said according to the Ghana Statistical Service report of 2003, most of these children were engaged in exploitative Labour. "The ILO is working hand in hand with the world's most popular sports; we hope to galvanize the global campaign against child Labour with this potent symbol-the red card that means out of the game." He said the campaign had added a new symbolic element to the global struggle against child Labour. "The initiative will seize on the popularity of the Cup of Nations to generate the widest possible public awareness of the harsh reality of trafficking in women and children". Mr Moses Kanduri, Programme Officer EPAWA noted that international sporting events had become fertile ground for human trafficking for sexual exploitation and added that preventive measures such as the red card could be seen as a sure way of combating the menace.

" The simple message, "Red Card" against trafficking of women and children sends a clear message to every Ghana2008 attendee that such illegal and harmful activities will not be tolerated in Ghana", he added and urged the media to play an effective role in the fight. Mrs Angelina Baiden Amissah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports launching the cards, lauded the two bodies for such an initiative to combat the menace.

She said government had, over the years put up numerous measures to curb the practice: the ratification of ECOWAS ECCAS agreement to combat trafficking in persons especially women and children, (Abuja 2006), the ratification of ILO Convention No. 182 on the elimination of worst forms of child Labour in June 2000 and the establishment of Ghana national Commission on Children, among others. Mrs Baiden-Amissah said to cement government commitment, the Ghana Component of the ILO/IPEC project to combat child trafficking for exploitation in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Benin was also launched in March 2002.