A two-day Strategic Training Programme on Human Trafficking and its Gender-Related Issues is underway from Thursday, 9th to Friday, 10th April 2026, for members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and the Gender Equity Committee.

Organised by the Human Trafficking Secretariat of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, in collaboration with IJM Ghana, the training aims to strengthen the capacity of participants, particularly parliamentarians, to better understand and respond to human trafficking in Ghana, with a focus on its gendered dimensions.

Participants are being taken through key topics, including an overview of human trafficking and its gender dynamics, irregular migration and human smuggling, child labour, and trafficking as an organised crime.

Additional sessions will cover law enforcement operations, rescue efforts, victim protection, rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as survivor engagement and community involvement.

Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, highlighted the gendered nature of human trafficking, noting that women and girls constitute the majority of victims globally and in Ghana.

She stressed that Ghana remains a source, transit, and destination country for trafficking, with emerging trends such as cyber-related exploitation raising further concern.

The sector minister outlined government efforts, including key legislation and the National Plan of Action, and called for strengthened policy direction and coordinated action.

She urged participants to translate insights from the training into concrete measures that will enhance prevention, protection, and prosecution efforts.

In a welcome address read on behalf of the Chief Director, Dr Marian W. A. Kpakpah, the Head of the General Administration Directorate, Ebenezer Charway, described human trafficking as a grave violation of human dignity that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially women and children.

He underscored the need for strengthened collaboration, innovation, and sustained commitment among stakeholders to effectively combat the menace.

The training is expected to enhance Parliament’s role in strengthening legislation, oversight, and advocacy to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable populations in Ghana.

The two-day programme will continue on Friday, 10th April 2026, with additional sessions.