The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called for renewed national action to end child labour, as Ghana joins the world to mark the 2026 World Day Against Child Labour.
This year’s commemoration runs under the theme: “Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults.”
In a statement issued on Friday, June 12, 2926, CHRAJ described child labour as “one of the most pressing child rights challenges of our time,” stressing that it continues to rob many children of their right to education, protection, and a dignified childhood.
Citing data from the Ghana Statistical Service, the Commission revealed that more than 1.1 million children aged 5–17 were engaged in economic activity in 2023. Of that number, over 458,000 were not attending school.
Globally, CHRAJ noted, about 138 million children remain in child labour, including nearly 54 million in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety, and development.
The Commission emphasized that beyond its social and economic costs, child labour violates rights guaranteed under the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), the 1992 Constitution, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
“The fulfillment of children’s rights is among the most fundamental measures of a society’s commitment to human dignity and social justice,” the statement read.
CHRAJ is urging government, civil society, and the private sector to address conditions that push children into exploitation.
The “Red Card to Child Labour” theme borrows from football to signal that society must send off exploitative practices and demand “fair play for children, decent work for adults.”
