3071-The political economy of new slavery

Amanda Berlan 167
Although this was written to illustrate a particular point relating to
India, it equally applies to the case of Ghana: acute, long-term poverty
is not a purely financial question at the household level. Its manifestation
in problems such as child labour requires sustained, long-term
state investment and international support to improve education, road
building and telecommunications, which would stimulate economic
growth and reduce endemic poverty.
The conditions described above make the implementation of the
rights-based approach particularly thorny. Asserting a child’s right to
freedom from slavery and their right to quality education is laudable,
but hard for policy-makers to implement in very poor communities
where the problem of child labour is more acute, and not a matter of
choice. The gap between policy, advocacy and practice was further
illustrated at the World Day Against Child Labour held on 12 June 2002.
This was marked in Ghana by a big press conference in Accra which was
led by representatives from key advocacy organizations such as the ILO,
UNICEF and Children in Need Ghana (CING). The information packs
distributed included a list of ‘The Things Children Can Do To End the
Worst Forms of Child Labour’, stating:
1. Say no to work that is harmful and degrading to you.
2. Speak with people in your community about the problem and what
can be done.
3. Report cases of child exploitation to the authorities concerned.
4. Learn more about child labour and the laws against it.
5. Ask your government to ratify and fully implement the Convention
on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
6. Write letters to the editors calling for immediate action to end the
worst forms of child labour.
7. Tell businesses that you will buy nothing from them if they exploit
children.
8. Call your friends together and form a group united against the
problem.
9. Volunteer your time and support for organizations working to
protect children.
10. Pledge to continue your efforts until every child enjoys their right
to a childhood.
I have yet to meet a child working in the rural sector in Ghana – which
makes up over 70 per cent of all working children – who would be able
to take any of these steps. The assumption that a child would be