ActionAid appeals for public support in combating modern slavery
The ActionAid Ghana (AAG), a non-profit making global justice federation working to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication has appealed to the public to help in combating modern slavery in the localities.
According to the AAG, modern slavery was common in Ghana and manifested itself in the forms of children and women exploitation, particularly in the agricultural sector.
Mr John Nkaw, Ghana’s Country Director of the AAG made the appeal when he was speaking at a ceremony to distribute livelihood start-up materials to 34 women who had been trained under the Combating Modern Slavery project at Sampa in the Jaman North District of the Bono Region.
The project, being implemented by the AAG started in 2021 with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation to build the capacities of state institutions to implement measures to prevent, identify and protect vulnerable groups and victims of modern slavery.
It also supports vulnerable individuals and groups by building their capacities to resist and seek redress for their recruitment into modern slavery.
Mr Nkaw explained that the project, aimed at empowering the women to live dignified lives to be able to resist indecent work, violence, exploitation, harassment, and abuse within workplaces.
Research into modern slavery has identified poverty to be a major contributor to the vulnerability of people to modern slavery, the Country Director added.
Hence, he announced the AAG under the project had trained 400 females from twelve districts in the country to equip them with employment capacities to increase their income levels through establishment of their own businesses.
The beneficiaries were trained in detergent production, animal rearing, catering, beekeeping, mushroom farming, baking, tiling, beads making, soap making, pomade production and vegetable farming, Mr Nkaw said.
He assured the AAG would continue to work tirelessly to support the people in the communities for sustainable development.
Mr Solomon Owusu, the Jaman North District Chief Executive described modern day slavery as a disastrous condition that must be ended because victims were being exploited and forced to work under inhuman conditions for little or no pay.
He stated the effort in combating modern slavery could not be accomplished by the government alone, saying it was a general responsibility of the entire society that required the collaboration of all stakeholders to assist in creating a world where all people could live in freedom and dignity.
Mr Owusu implored the citizenry to support its elimination by reporting perpetrators and other suspicious persons and groups involved to law enforcement agencies for their arrest and prosecution in the law courts of competent jurisdiction.
Source: GNA