Gender Minister defends Ghana’s child welfare system.

The Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister, Nana Oye Lithur has told the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that Ghana is in the final stage of formulating the Justice for Children policy which aims at protecting children and guiding their interaction with the justice system.

Nana Oye Lithur strongly defended Ghana’s efforts at improving the welfare of children through legal, policy frameworks as well as institutional mechanisms.

According to her, Ghana has prioritised issues about children since the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.

“We are also finalising a justice for children policy to guide interaction of children with the justice system of Ghana and promote the well being of children; prevent abuse, and protect children from harm,” she indicated.

She said government has also “prioritised interventions for girls, children with disabilities, children of asylum seekers, refugee children, children of immigrants, children exposed to sexual and gender based violence, children living with HIV and children living and working on the streets.”

Touching on the phenomenon of witch camps which have been a haven for many human right abuses, Nana Oye Lithur also indicated her ministry will close down two more witch camps in the Northern Region having already closed one in December, 2014.

“A national conference on witchcraft accusations was also for the first time in our history held in Accra for us to develop a national consensus on the underlining causes and issues surrounding the phenomenon of witchcraft accusation and to chart a way forward for eliminating it,” she said.