Causes of Child Trafficking: A case study of Ghana

Abstract: Despite the growing efforts by international and national actors to combat trafficking in human beings, the slavery of our time is flourishing. Among the victims of trafficking, children are especially vulnerable, as they completely dependent on adults for livelihood and rights. In the contemporary debate few studies treat trafficking as a problem in its own right. This study aims to correct this situation by examining the root causes of trafficking. Specifically, the study asks about the root causes of child trafficking in the case of Ghana, and why the laws against trafficking enacted there are not adequately enforced. The study use previous work on trafficking to form a theoretical framework, by constructed categories. Qualitative interview methodology is used to mine data, with standardised and open questions. During the field study interviews were carried out with government agencies, NGOs and private citizens on the trafficking situation in Ghana. The results from these studies are compared and analysed, in relation to each other and the contemporary international debate on trafficking. Through the interviews it was found that, the root causes of trafficking in Ghana are ignorance and lack of education, the Ghanaian culture of sending away children with extended family and poverty. Inadequate enforcement was found to be attributed to inconsistencies in Ghana's legal framework and enforcement, lack of education and corruption within law enforcement, and problems with coordination among government agencies. There is also an imbalance of power in the cooperation between government and NGOs, as the latter initiate cooperation on the issue. From the field study it became evident that the contemporary theoretical framework of trafficking is not adequate to conceptualise and combat the complex problem, for this a comprehensive approach towards child trafficking is needed. In Ghana there is a need for clearer legal definitions. Educational effort should be directed, at law enforcement as well as the general population. And further coordination is needed, where the government takes a more active role in initiating cooperation with NGOs and the general population. Trafficking in children is culturally entrenched in Ghana, so unless concerted efforts are made to amend this situation, trafficking in children will likely remain a problem there for a long time to come.