Accra – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), through its Human Trafficking Secretariat and with support from the International Justice Mission (IJM), has launched the media campaign to commemorate the 2026 World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, also known as Blue Day.
The event, held on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, was organised under the theme: “Human Trafficking Can End: The Time is Now – Blow the Whistle on Sports Trafficking.” It highlighted the growing menace of trafficking in sports, particularly among children, youth, and promising athletes lured with false promises of contracts, scholarships, and opportunities abroad.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, commended stakeholders for their collaboration and stressed the need for collective action. She warned that traffickers are increasingly exploiting sports as Ghana prepares for international tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup. “Traffickers are taking advantage of sports and exploiting young talents,” she cautioned.
Dr. Lartey appealed to the media to use their platforms to educate, expose criminal networks, amplify survivors’ voices, and sustain national attention on trafficking. She also urged stakeholders to highlight emerging threats such as sports trafficking, cyber-enabled exploitation, and deceptive migration schemes targeting young people.
Representing the Chief Director of MoGCSP, Mr. Ebenezer Charwey, Director for General Administration, underscored the urgent need to protect young athletes from traffickers posing as agents and recruiters. He noted that many victims face exploitation and abandonment abroad.
The General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Dominic Hlordzi, pledged the Association’s commitment to media advocacy against trafficking, stressing that journalism must defend the vulnerable and promote justice.
Madam Anita Budu, IJM’s Director for West Africa, described the media as “first responders of truth” and called for increased awareness. She urged government to allocate adequate resources to the Human Trafficking Fund to support prevention, law enforcement, survivor care, and prosecution.
The campaign will feature nationwide sensitisation activities, media engagements, community outreach, and stakeholder dialogues aimed at strengthening Ghana’s fight against trafficking in persons.
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