A review of the legal, policy and institutional framework on child labour in Ghana

Child labour persists in Ghana despite a range of policy and legal measures implemented by the government and other development partners. This article reviews Ghana’s legal, policy and institutional framework on child labour to determine whether it meets international labour and human rights norms. It also assesses the framework to see whether it is well-positioned to combat child labour in Ghana. Although the article notes the steps taken by relevant legislation to incorporate international labour organisations’ standards aimed at combating child labour, it observes that local legislation is not sufficiently detailed, especially on what constitutes the worst forms of child labour. Other forms of child labour, such as the use of children in mining and the illicit production of drugs, are not specifically addressed. The article also critiques the institutional framework that segregates enforcement along the lines of the formal and informal sectors. While the article commends the strong decentralised institutional structures in Ghana’s current plan for eliminating child labour, it argues that the strong institutional structures created by the plan should be given legal status and their roles clarified with a view to establishing legally-binding duties on the government. The article also proposes amendments to strengthen the legal framework and align it with international best practices. In this regard, it proposes the expansion of the hazardous work list, the introduction of the minimum conditions for light work and outlawing the use of children in mining and the illicit production of drugs.