According to the ILO, child labor is defined as work

that deprives children of their childhood, their

potential and their dignity. It refers to work that is
mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous
and harmful to children; and interferes with their
schooling by:
Depriving them of the opportunity to attend school
Obliging them to leave school prematurely, or
Requiring them to attempt to combine school
attendance with excessively long and heavy work.
How does it relate nationally and
internationally?
The concept of child labour is based on the ILO
Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), which
represents the most comprehensive and
authoritative international definition of
minimum age for admission to employment or
work. Under the Ghana Children Act 1998,
minimum age for admission of children into
employment is fifteen (15). However, children
may be employed at the age of thirteen (13) to
do light work. The minimum age for engagement
of persons in hazardous work is eighteen (18).

Whilst child labour by both boys and girls
takes many different forms, the elimination
of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) as
defined by Article 3 of the ILO Convention
No. 182 is a priority. The convention calls for
immediate prohibition of the WFCL, enacting
laws, regulations and standards. Secondly, it
requires ratifying states to take urgent and
effective measures to eliminate these worst
forms through programmes of action. It
applies to all children under the age of 18,
but calls for special attention to girls.

Are employers allowed to engage children
in hazardous work?
No. Employers are not allowed to engage
children in exploitative labour which
deprives children of education, healthcare
and development.
Can an employer engage children in night
work?
No. Employers are not supposed to engage
children in night work.

What is some of the hazardous work that employers
should not engage children in?
Under no circumstances are children allowed to do the
following hazardous work:
Going to sea
Mining and quarrying
Porterage of heavy loads
Working at manufacturing industries where chemicals are
produced
Working in places where machines are used
Working in places such as bars, hotels and places of
entertainment where a person may be exposed to
immoral behavior.



What will be the consequences if an employer
allows children to do hazardous work?
Any employer who contravenes this provision
shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine
not exceeding GHc1000 or to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding two years or both
Child labor in the fishing industry
Child labor in the cocoa industry
Child labor in the stone quarry industry
The slides below presents the report of the field
tripe organised by the team at KOSS Model Basic
School in Ghana.
The team explored four forms of child labor.
Namely;
Trading
Small Scale Mining (Galamsey)
Transportation (Conductor)
Head porters (Kayaye)

A work done by:
Kesse Frimpong
I, Kesse Frimpong
interviewed this
boy called Wahab
Shaibu, a student
of Madrasatu
Tarbiyatul Islamiya
(M.T.I). He is 15
years of age.

He is not suppose to work but due to certain
circumstances he is working. The work is for his
father and he often goes there to help. Due to
the separation between his father and his
mother, looking after him has become a problem.
Therefore he needs to work in order to support
himself and his education. He is in junior high
school three(3) and about to write BASIC
EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION.(B.E.C.E)
but do not get the time to learn due to his
occupation this will lead to his failure in the
exams.

THIS WHERE WAHAB WORKS
This is where Wahab
works. The environment
is filthy and could end
up acquiring diseases
and infection . This
place is very dangerous
and unsanitary . They
can easily acquire
respiratory diseases
such as lung cancer and
others.



A WATER BODY BEING DESTROYED DUE TO
THEIR ACTIVITIES.
This water was safe for
human consumption
but is now unsafe for
human use.
With this we can say
that their activities has
greatly destroyed the
environment and its
components.


A work done by:
Esther Kwaning

THE CONDUCTOR
Firstly when I
move closer to
him, the 14 year
old boy was
frightened and
much anxious. On
my way back home
from school I see
him conducting at
the road side.
At about 14 years of age, still
qualifies to be an under age
(minor) to be working as a
conductor at Konongo station.
Yes, that is the particular place
I met him working.

Richmond was working with his father. He
spend his days as Bus Conductor at the
lorry station. I asked for his home town.
He said, they are originally from Ofuase.
His family migrated from Ofuase in search
of a better place to carry out their work.
Richmond is among the child workers who
live to prevent their parent from becoming
poor and protect them from the insecurity
of hunger.

HOW MOSES BECAME KAYAYE
At the age of 10, Moses
lost his parents and
therefore moved from his
hometown in the northern
region of Ghana, a town
called Salaga because of
instability (conflict) to
settle at Odumase with
the aim of searching for
peace.
Work by Kesse Frimpong
Later he then managed to start his own
business as a kayaye (people who carry
items of travelers) at the lorry station. As
time goes on, he afforded a wheel barrow
to make his work a bit easier. He said he
has done this for almost four years and he
is still doing this because he can no more
live in the shackles of poverty.

A field work by Asantewaa Kandah
from KOSS Model Basic School.

This is Kofi Owusu, a 15
years old graduate of
Junior High School. He is
engaged in selling of Ice
Cream in order to save
money to help his parents
to send him to Senior
High School next
academic year. His
parents are peasant
farmers who find it very
difficult to have earns
meet.
A field work done by Asantewaa Kandah of
KOSS Model Basic School. Although
employment of children below the age of
18 in any company or any hazardous
occupation is prohibited but Patrick
Boateng conveniently sells yogurt at Habitat
station Konongo precisely where I met
him. When I approached him the eleven(11)
years boy was frightened and anxious about
who I was , asking him all that questions.
Even though he is living with both parents
but since he is owing in school he has to
work hard to support his education. Patrick
express the poverty in his family. His
relatives were employed in domestic labour
,working for people in his neighbourhood .
He has six siblings6 he is the fifth born
.Although he was forced to work but he
cannot complain or quit because he
depends on the meager amount that he
earn. His day starts at 3:00pm after school
and ends at 5:30pm ,he is always at work
because he has a great ambition of being a
doctor in future. On my way back home I
see him on a daily basis selling yogurt to
make money to support himself.