Child Labour in Ghana: Ecological Perspective

Abstract

One of the major socio-economic problem that have engaged the attention of world leaders and researchers presently is child labour. The phenomenon persists in spite of the effort made by International Labour Organization and other reputable organizations to eliminate it. This paper examines this phenomenon in African context, with specific reference to Ghana. It draws on the ecological approach in Community Psychology which claims that, in both research and intervention planning, the notion of context must be placed front and centre. International conventions that seek to eliminate child labour, as well as Ghana’s Children’s Act, are examined in relation to the Ghanaian culture. Besides, several studies and articles in the area of child labour are also examined. It is argued that, for interventions to be successful, it should take into account the culture of the people. Thus, child labour and its related light work should be given contextual definitions.

Keywords: Child Labour, Ecological Perspective, Ghana, Culture, Context.