Don't encourage children into prostitution - Churcher

Ms Christine Churcher, Minister of State for Basic, Secondary and Girl-Child Education, on Thursday urged parents and guardians to stop pushing their teenage girls into prostitution by neglecting their welfare.

Ms Churcher, who was the key speaker at a ceremony in Accra to launch a handbook on the rights of the child, cited a case reported to her in her constituency, Cape Coast, where a mother stopped providing for her daughter and urged her to exploit her beauty to cater for her needs.

Ms Churcher said: "When I confronted the mother she proudly told me that when she was her daughter's age she brought money home. She was encouraging her to bear fruits when she wasn't mature."

She said parents and guardians should not use poverty as an excuse to be irresponsible because children have the right to food, shelter, healthcare and education.

The First Lady, Mrs Theresa Kufuor, was the special guest of honour at the ceremony attended by representatives of women's groups and pupils of basic schools.

Ms Churcher commended the Ghanaian Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) for publishing the handbook: "The Rights of the Ghanaian Child," to create awareness among children, parents, policymakers and teachers on the need to uphold children's rights.

The 35-page illustrated handbook, published with support of the German Agency for Technical Co-operation, is the simplification of the Children's Act 560 and the Criminal Code Amendment Act 554.

It seeks to eliminate all legal technical language so as to make the laws understandable to all sections of the public and encourages children to accept their rights and guard against their violation.

The handbook, launched by Mrs Gladys Asmah, Minister of Women's Affairs, highlights the treatment of the disabled child, right to express an opinion, protection from torture and degrading treatment, forced betrothals and marriages and penalty for contravention.

It spells out the roles of the district assemblies and the Department of Social Welfare, the duty of individuals, children in need of care and protection, children's rights under the intestate succession law, the child and the social security laws and the right to parental property.

Ms Churcher advised parents to provide for their children even when they are over 18 years, until they have been adequately prepared for life.

Most children at 18 are unskilled and not well endowed to face life as adults, she said.

Ms Churcher advised fathers who deny paternity of their children because they are conceived outside wedlock to acknowledge them and provide for their needs as they also have rights.

"I have received several letters from children complaining about irresponsible fathers and some of them are pathetic."

She said sexual offences against children are rising, especially in schools, and asked authorities in educational institutions to report such cases to the police and the Ghana Education Service.

"We (government) will not tolerate these abuses and we will ensure that offenders are prosecuted."

Mrs Asmah said her Ministry is coordinating with others to establish a Victim Support System to cater for children whose parents are prosecuted for violating their rights so that they do not suffer.

"We have realised that several abuses against children are not reported for fear of becoming destitute when the offenders are punished."

Mrs Kufuor expressed her commitment to advocate the rights of children to ensure that they become responsible adults and leaders in future.

"The recognition of their rights is basic to their survival and we should guard against their exploitation, abuse and exposure to pornography and prostitution," she said. "No one should force a child into early marriage."

The president of FIDA, Mrs Ernestina Naana Hagan, said the handbook would be translated into the major Ghanaian languages and promoted through the use of games, films and other aids.

She, however, stressed the need to complement education with the provision of basic needs and facilities to achieve success and appealed to government and district assemblies to provide these.

Ms Hagan appealed for support to enable FIDA to acquire spacious accommodation for offices so that it can cater for its large clientele.

FIDA, established in 1974, provides free legal aid and services to the poor.

It handles about 50 cases a day, most of which involve the neglect, maintenance, custody and support of children.

Mrs Elizabeth Owiredu-Gyampoh, past president of FIDA, who chaired the ceremony, said the best guide for parents to uphold the rights of children is to recall their childhood experiences and avoid threatening their children against the things they feared and hated.

Two thousand handbooks have so far been published. They were given free to children, but sold at 5,000 cedis a copy to parents.