Residents of Gbrimani in the Tolon District of the Northern Region have adopted community by-laws aimed at strengthening child rights protection and safeguarding children against abuse, exploitation, and other harmful practices.
The by-laws were adopted at a community town hall meeting facilitated by the Centre for Development and Policy Advocacy (CEDEPA Ghana), in collaboration with the Gbrimani Child Protection Committee (CPC).
The engagement brought together traditional and religious leaders, opinion leaders, parents, guardians, teachers, community members, and representatives of Child Protection Committees from other communities participating in the project.
The initiative forms part of the Promoting Child Rights and Equal Opportunities for Children in Street and Other Vulnerable Situations Project II, implemented by CEDEPA Ghana in partnership with Safe Child Advocacy, with funding support from Misereor, Wilde Ganzen and Adamfo Ghana.
The by-laws seek to provide a community-based framework for protecting children’s rights by defining their fundamental rights, prohibiting harmful practices and establishing procedures for reporting, handling and referring child protection cases to the appropriate authorities.
The sensitisation also focused on strengthening residents’ understanding of their responsibilities in protecting children and promoting collaboration among community members, traditional leaders and Child Protection Committees.
Speaking to the media, CEDEPA Ghana’s Project Lead, Alhassan Ziblim, said the initiative forms part of the organisation’s efforts to promote community ownership and local accountability in safeguarding children against abuse, exploitation and other rights violations.
With the adoption of the Gbrimani by-laws, six communities have now established child safeguarding and protection by-laws under the project’s second phase.
The other communities are Zangbalun and Kpilo in the Kumbungu District, Kotingli and Bagliga in the Tamale South Sub-Metro, and Yipelgu in the Tolon District.
The Chief and people of Gbrimani have expressed appreciation to CEDEPA Ghana for facilitating the initiative and pledged to establish a community-based task force through the Child Protection Committee to support public education and the implementation of the by-laws.
The adoption process was facilitated by project focal persons from the National Commission for Civic Education and the Department of Social Welfare.
CEDEPA Ghana has been working with communities to address child labour, early and forced marriage, drug abuse, unsafe migration and other practices that expose children to abuse and vulnerability.
The project also includes public education and school-based sensitisation on child rights, online safety and emerging threats to children’s welfare.
The initiative is expected to strengthen community-level child protection mechanisms and encourage residents to take collective responsibility for creating a safer environment for children.
Source: Ibrahim Angaangmeni Alhassan /zaaghana.com
