New monitoring system rolled out to step up fight against child labour in Ghana

The Ghana Child Labour Monitoring System (GCLMS) is being rolled out to combat child labour in the country's agriculture, artisanal mining, and other sectors. This digital tool aims to facilitate government officials and partners in identifying, documenting, referring, and following up on child labor cases more efficiently. The GCLMS is crucial in sectors like agriculture, artisanal and small-scale mining, domestic work, and the informal economy, where children may face hazardous or exploitative work.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is funding the GCLMS through the ACCEL Africa Project, which partnered with Ghana's Ministry of Labour, Jobs, and Employment. The system is interoperable with other child protection systems in Ghana, ensuring smooth case referral and remediation while promoting inter-agency coordination.

Training sessions for regional and district stakeholders have been conducted in ACCEL Africa project areas to ensure those involved in child labor identification, monitoring, referral, and case management are well-equipped to use the new system effectively. National Project Coordinator Bismark Quartey highlighted the importance of reliable and timely data in the fight against child labor, stating that the GCLMS provides a common mechanism for documenting cases, understanding their characteristics, initiating interventions, and tracking follow-up actions.

During the four-day training, participants engaged in field practical exercises to learn how to register and document cases, update information, manage data, generate reports, and monitor follow-up actions. Participant Frederick Osei Agyemang from the Social Welfare Department in Bibiani expressed that the training has strengthened his understanding of the GCLMS and its role in improving data quality and supporting children and families in need of assistance.

The rollout of the GCLMS signifies another step forward in strengthening Ghana's national systems to prevent and eliminate child labor, ensuring that every child is protected from work that endangers their safety, development, and future.