ICI Organises Experience-Sharing Workshop for Journalists and Editors on Child and Forced Labour

Last month, ICI, in collaboration with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Agricultural and Rural Development Journalists Association (GARDJA), organised experience-sharing workshops aimed at deepening journalists' and editors' understanding of child labour and forced labour issues in Ghana's cocoa sector.

Held in Kumasi and Mampong, the workshop brought together media professionals from across the country for interactive sessions on understanding indicators of child and forced labour, and on strengthening the media's role in promoting child protection within cocoa-growing communities.

Speaking at the event, the Vice President of GJA, Rebecca Ekpe, commended ICI for its continuous efforts in building the capacity of journalists to effectively report on child labour: "The children are our future, and we need to protect them. That's why I think this ICI training for journalists and news editors is very important," she said. She further noted: "We realised that there are gaps when it comes to understanding some labour and child rights laws. We are hopeful that the knowledge gained through this training will enable us, as media professionals, to better promote and project child labour issues in the way ICI envisions," she added.

Richmond Frimpong, National President of GARDJA, emphasized the growing awareness among journalists regarding the critical issue of child labour in Ghana's cocoa industry. He highlighted the responsibility of the media in addressing this concern, stating: "Child labour in the cocoa sector is a pressing issue in Ghana. That is why we, as journalists, must use our platforms to raise awareness and shape public discourse, drawing on the knowledge gained from ICI's training."

ICI's Communications Director, Katie Bird, highlighted the essential role of the media in the fight against child and forced labour: "The media has an important role to play in tackling child labour and forced labour issues in Ghana's cocoa sector by raising awareness and helping to hold duty bearers to account," she stated.

Through initiatives like this workshop, ICI continues to strengthen collaboration with the media to improve public understanding and drive collective action against child and forced labour, and remains committed to identifying effective strategies for addressing them.