The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has intensified efforts to prevent children from being exposed to illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, amid concerns over their exploitation and abuse at mining sites.
The sector Minister, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, said the Ministry is collaborating with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen measures aimed at protecting children from the dangers associated with illegal mining.
As part of the intervention, she disclosed that a technical committee involving the Ministry of the Interior has been established to facilitate the swift arrest and processing of cases involving the exploitation and abuse of children at mining sites.
“We have established a technical committee with the involvement of the Ministry of the Interior to ensure that cases involving the exploitation and abuse of children at mining sites are dealt with promptly,” Dr. Lartey said.
According to her, the committee is already working to address identified challenges, with further details on specific interventions expected to be announced once the necessary processes have been completed.
“The committee is currently working to address the challenges that have been identified. We will provide further details on the specific interventions once the necessary processes have been completed,” she stated.
Dr. Lartey noted that some aspects of the strategy could not immediately be made public due to security considerations.
“For security reasons, we may not be able to disclose every aspect of the strategy at this stage. However, the public will be given the necessary information on how these interventions will be implemented,” she added.
The initiative forms part of broader efforts to strengthen child protection and prevent children from being subjected to hazardous activities, exploitation and abuse within illegal mining communities.
