Tema, June 23, GNA - Female students in the Tema metropolis have appealed to the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the public adhere to legislations that concern the protection of the rights of children especially the girl child.

They have also called on religious bodies, members of parliament, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and other stakeholders to complement government efforts to end child labour.

Miss Ewurasi Boadu, a student of St Albans Anglican School, made the appeal on behalf of the students in a petition to the government through the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware as part of activities in the metropolis to mark the world day against child labour.

Ms Boadu said implementation of legislations against child labour would help increase the opportunities for girls engaged in child labour to have quality education.

She said apart from undertaking challenging work as boys, the estimated 100 million girls involved in child labour around the world often endured additional hardships and face extra risks as they are often exposed to some of the worst forms of child labour. The students said girls engage in domestic work in third party homes hidden from the public eye leading to dangers and extreme exploitation of the girls.

Ms Boadu said girls have to combine long hours of households chores with some form of economic activities outside the household leaving little time and opportunity for them to attend to school. She reiterated the call on stakeholders to intensify their advocacy on the need to eliminate child labour to give educational opportunity to children to escape the cycle of poverty. Receiving the petition Mr Ofosuware said there was the need to distinguish between child labour that is injurious to the child and work that children do to assist their parents which is not necessarily harmful to them.

He cautioned parents against acts that contravene the fundamental rights of their wards enshrined in the 1992 constitution and other conventions on children.

Mr Ofosuware said although Ghanaian cultural heritage and socio-economic challenges make it difficult to exempt children from all forms of work, especially when it contributes towards moulding their character, parents must be guided by Article 28 (2) of the constitution which states that "every child has the right to be protected from engaging in work that constitutes a threat to their health, education and development." 23 June 09