By: Alhaji Alhassan Mbalba
A child protection system is the organised network of laws, government institutions, professionals, services and community structures responsible for preventing and responding to all forms of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation against children.
Child abuse is commonly categorised into four main types: neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse.
This article is not intended as a criticism of any particular government or political party in Ghana. Rather, it is a call for honest national reflection on whether successive governments, dating back to the pre-independence era, have established a fit-for-purpose child protection system capable of effectively protecting and safeguarding vulnerable children throughout the country.
Historically, Ghana has relied, to a considerable extent, on traditional and informal structures, including extended families, community leaders and traditional authorities, to protect children and address concerns about their welfare. While these structures continue to play an important role, changing social conditions, urbanisation and modernisation have exposed the limitations of relying on them alone.
Ghana must therefore develop, strengthen and implement a comprehensive, formal and adequately resourced child protection system that responds effectively to the realities of modern society.
The ongoing public discourse surrounding the alleged child sexual abuse scandal at Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS) has brought into sharp focus the apparent deficiencies in Ghana’s child protection arrangements. The case should prompt a broader national conversation about the effectiveness of existing institutions, the enforcement of safeguarding laws, the availability of specialist services and the coordination of agencies responsible for protecting children.
I have been following the public discussions, proposed solutions, ministerial pronouncements and actions taken in response to this disturbing case. However, I remain unconvinced that the measures proposed or announced so far will, on their own, adequately address the wider problem of child abuse in Ghana.
The challenge requires more than statements of concern or isolated interventions; it demands a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable national response.
I was therefore encouraged by the reported remarks of the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, who attributed child abuse in Ghana to systemic and institutional failures. Similarly, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Naa Momo Lartey, reportedly highlighted problems with communication and coordination among ministries responsible for children during an interview with JoyNews.
These observations point to a fundamental issue: child protection cannot be effective when the institutions mandated to safeguard children operate in isolation, communicate inadequately or fail to coordinate their responsibilities.
Ghana’s Child Protection Legal Framework
Ghana ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1990 and subsequently enacted the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560), establishing a domestic legal framework for the protection of children’s rights and welfare.
The legislation is explicit about institutional responsibilities. Section 16(1) of the Children’s Act places a duty on each District Assembly to protect the welfare and promote the rights of children within its area of authority, and to ensure that government agencies liaise with one another on matters concerning children. Section 16(2) specifically assigns investigative responsibilities to the Assembly’s Department of Social Welfare and Community Development in relation to violations of children’s rights.
These responsibilities are reinforced by Sections 17 and 19. Section 17 requires a person who has information about child abuse or a child in need of care and protection to report the matter to the Department. Section 19 sets out the Department’s responsibilities where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a child has been abused or requires care and protection. These include working with the police and, where necessary, taking steps to secure the child’s immediate safety and referring the matter to the Family Tribunal.
Against this legal backdrop, the ongoing child sexual abuse scandal raises serious questions about the performance of the institutions mandated to protect children.
What role have the relevant District Assemblies and their Departments of Social Welfare and Community Development played in identifying, preventing and responding to child abuse? Were concerns reported to the appropriate authorities? Were investigations initiated where required? Were vulnerable children identified and protected? What safeguarding arrangements were in place, and how effectively did the relevant institutions coordinate their responses?
These are legitimate questions of public accountability that deserve clear and evidence-based answers.
In the United Kingdom, local authorities have statutory responsibilities for safeguarding children, working with other agencies under established legal frameworks and procedures. Ghana, too, has legislation that assigns specific child protection duties to local government institutions. The critical question is whether these statutory responsibilities are being effectively discharged in practice.
We cannot demand accountability from individual perpetrators alone while failing to scrutinise the institutions legally mandated to protect children. Where evidence establishes neglect, a failure to act or a breach of statutory duty, the relevant institutions and responsible officials must be held accountable through appropriate processes.
Our children deserve more than laws on paper. They deserve institutions that fulfil their legal obligations, act promptly when abuse is reported and place their safety and welfare at the heart of every decision.
Resetting the Debate: Restoring Local-Level Leadership and Accountability
The national debate must now move beyond expressions of outrage, political exchanges and reactive measures in response to individual cases. We must focus on how to make Ghana’s existing child protection framework work effectively.
District Assemblies and their Departments of Social Welfare and Community Development must be placed at the centre of an effective, coordinated and accountable local child protection system, in accordance with their statutory mandates.
These institutions should take a leading role in coordinating the delivery of child protection services within their respective jurisdictions, working collaboratively with the police, schools, health services, community organisations, traditional authorities and other relevant stakeholders.
Such coordination must be supported by clear referral pathways, information-sharing protocols, properly trained personnel, adequate funding and effective monitoring arrangements.
The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the relevant ministries and national institutions must also provide clear policy direction, establish effective oversight mechanisms and ensure that local authorities have the resources and professional capacity required to discharge their responsibilities.
Furthermore, the Government should commission a comprehensive assessment of Ghana’s child protection system to identify gaps in legislation, institutional capacity, workforce provision, funding, inter-agency coordination and accountability. The findings should inform a costed national action plan with measurable targets, clear institutional responsibilities and mechanisms for monitoring progress.
Conclusion
Ghana does not need to start from scratch. It already has a legal framework that establishes important child protection responsibilities. What is needed is a serious commitment to implementing that framework effectively, strengthening the institutions responsible for delivery and holding them accountable for their performance.
The debate must therefore shift from what individual ministers have said in response to the Obuasi SHTS case to the more fundamental question of how Ghana can ensure that its statutory child protection institutions fulfil their responsibilities.
The Government must ensure that District Assemblies and their Departments of Social Welfare and Community Development are equipped and empowered to lead local child protection efforts, coordinate relevant agencies and ensure that no child is left without protection because of institutional failure.
Protecting children is not the responsibility of one ministry, one department or one professional group. It is a shared responsibility that requires clearly defined leadership, effective coordination and accountability at every level.
Ultimately, the test of Ghana’s child protection system is not the number of laws enacted or statements issued after a scandal. It is whether those laws and institutions protect children in practice.
It is time to reset Ghana’s child protection system—not merely in policy, but in practice, institutional accountability and the protection afforded to every child.
Every Child Matters.
Alhaji Alhassan Mbalba
Child Protection Expert
