| Throughout the world, children engage in labour that denies them of their childhood. Child labour is a growing global concern, as an estimated 218 million children are engaged in the practice. Though child labour reduced in some parts of the world, it is still one of the major developmental challenges facing many African countries such as Ghana. This thesis advocates for a group of young girls in southern Ghana who engage in child labour through the child-kayayei business. Kayayei is a term describing people who transport goods on their heads for a small fee. Despite Ghana's regulations against child exploitation and head porterage, child-kayayei usage is widely accepted. The thesis first introduces the topic through a case study based on a personal interview and a brief overview of the child-kayayei crisis in Ghana. Thereafter, the thesis addresses (1) how the child-kayayei business violates the Constitution of Ghana and Ghanaian laws; (2) how the child-kayayei business violates international law; and (3) how Ghana should be held accountable to the international community, under the jurisdiction of the African Court for Human and Peoples' Rights, for its non-compliance to child labour regulations. The thesis concludes with plausible legal solutions to Ghana's on-going child-kayayei crisis. |
