Ghana Cited By ILO …Over Forced Labour

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has cited Ghana among countries where forced labour practices persist with its victims suffering exploitation in most cases.

Forced labour is the situation where people are compelled to work or in certain cases subjected to physical punishment if they do not comply. The ILO's new global report on forced labour entitled “A Global Alliance Against Forced Labour” pointed out that “kayaye” girls or head porters migrate from the rural areas towards urban market places to earn money.

These girls, who are mainly from northern Ghana, come to Accra to seek greener pastures while others escape from forced marriages and other traditional practices.

The report states that these girls may be exploited by those who offer them shelter since most of them come to the city with no relatives in town to put up with or nowhere in particular to stay.

The report, which is the second to be issued on forced labour since 2001, says the law enforcement against the practice of forced labour remains inadequate.

It has, therefore, called for a global action to eradicate forced labour from the world with the use of national plans and programmes that would base its strategies on the eradication of extreme poverty.