CHILD PROSTITUTION IN GHANA

By: Mary Ankrah
Many years ago prostitution was found among adult who were in the ages of eighteen years and above. But today, the reverse is the case. It is commonly seen among children between the ages of thirteen years to seventeen years.

Children are the future leaders of this country; therefore, the responsibility of bringing up a child into a well defined being should not be left in the hands of parents and relatives only. Parents and relatives have their roles to play and it is the concern of government to help in the up bringing of children in the society in other for them to grow and become good citizens and virtuous leaders of the nation. And so, government finds it necessary to establish the ministry of women and children’s affairs. This ministry is to find solutions to problems affecting women and especially children in the society.

Since education is one of the priorities for a developing country like Ghana to grow, it is necessary to invest into the future leaders of this nation, so it has provided free education from primary level to the secondary level. It has also provided free transport for all school going child to school and finally introduced the school feeding program nation wide.

 But the dreams of many youngsters have being shattered for several reasons. These have caused them to humiliate their bodies as sex objects for men. Child prostitution though illegal, is a very popular business in Accra.

Statistically, about 45 percent of children in Accra indulge in prostitution. Our elders say that ‘‘there is no smoke without fire’’. Literally means that there is a reason for everything. Have you imagine why teenage girls are into ‘‘sex trade’’? Are they forced into it or they are being materialistic? Child prostitution can lead to teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and high mortality in children.

To begin with, prostitution is not a valuable experience because people who are involve in ‘‘sex trade’’ are prone to sexual and venereal diseases such as HIV-AIDS, gonorrhea, syphilis and so on. Poverty is the most difficult situation we have to deal with in our society. It expose people to so many challenges such as inability to attain education, acquire house, provide good food and clothes as to make life wealth living.

When these needs are not fulfill some parents especially mothers sell their children or give them to rich people who claim they will take care of their children by providing them with the basic needs of life such as food, shelter, clothes and education. These children are being taken to the city and exploited. They are also lured into the profession through false promises and good jobs. 

They are told all kinds of stories that entice them to stay. Those who prove stubborn are threatening that if they run away the police will arrest them or get lost or will be used by traditionalist for rituals. They then become afraid to go so they adapt to the conditions they are involved in. For the first one week, they are treated well. They are given food, free room to live and seductive clothes that expose their bodies. Then and then the training business stars. They are trained how to drink and smoke to remove shyness and fear from them and they are taught how to pose and seduce men.

Next, they are being taught skills like the ‘‘long and short shoot and the back and front method’’ said one of the young prostitute to attract customers to patronize them more. The training process takes less than one week and afterwards they enter the ‘‘sex trade” fully. At this stage they are to collect money for every service they offer for men whether short or long time.

According to one of these prostitute at solider bar in circle said that a short time cost Gh¢ 3.00 and long time cost Gh¢ 20.00 These young prostitutes are made to understand that in life one has to ‘‘use what she has to gain what she want’’ and this is a popular saying among these minors. They believe that the only way to alleviate poverty in their families is to sell their bodies as sex objects for men and the monies they gain can provide their desires.

Some of these children who were recently interviewed at solider bar at circle for instance said that they do not enjoy sleeping with different kinds of men everyday but they do not have any other alternative. They said their relatives have refused to help them and so they have to find a way to help their selves. For instance, a twelve years old girl from a rural area in central part of Ghana told the police when she was arrested that she was convinced to enter the act after realizing that it was the only way for her to survive the harsh realities of city life.

Another young girl whom I try to convince her to quit prostitution but did not adhere to my advice about eight months ago narrated her story to me ‘‘sister I come from a poor family and my mother is sick with no money to buy drugs for her or even take her to the hospital. I have to do this to help my family’’ as she said in the vernacular language. 

The little girl who was about fourteen years old told me that both her parents’ relatives refused to help or assist or even borrow them some money to start a little business. Her father was dead and men who wanted to help her all want to sleep with her before they could offer her any help. She tried so hard to resist them but could not any longer because her mother’s sickness was getting worse and needs medical attention so she had to go back to those men she had resisted before and sleep with them for money to take her poor mother to the hospital. Since then she had being in the business to support her poor mother and junior ones.

Many of these children who are prostitute come from a poor background homes from the rural areas or slum areas of the country to seek for greener pastures in the city but unfortunately for them when they come and life become unbearable for them, they resort to offer their bodies for men for money.

Secondly, broken home is another issue that has intensified child prostitution in Accra. When parents divorce or separate, it is the children who suffer most. The children are left under the control of a single parent, that is either the mother or father and if they do not receive the needed discipline, moral support, advice, parental love and care that will enable them behave well and decently, they become wayward. In fact, broken home creates unhappiness for children and makes them discontent with the situation. When the situation becomes more serious and there is no comfort at home, the child looks elsewhere, from anybody including men for happiness and love.

Also, in situations where parents re-marry, their first children may become victims of cruel stepmothers or fathers and abuse by them. In the process they fall prey to such illegal act. It is obvious that some of these young teens are affected in this way. 

The situation of Adoley at Ashiaman is a typical example to this fact. Adoley did not enjoy the love of her parents at her tender age. When her father separated with her biological mother, her father immediately married another woman and took her away from her mother to stay with him and his new wife and children. Her stepmother did not like her because she was intelligent than her step siblings. She was her father’s favorite child so when her stepmother realized that she started maltreating her. 

Whilst her siblings go to school early she was made to do all the domestic work before living to school. There was no day she was not flogged for lateness in school. Whenever her father was around, her stepmother pretended to be nice to her. She threatened to starve her the whole day and beat her if she reveals her action to her father or anybody. She kept this secret until now. 

One day, when her father had traveled, Adoley became sick. Her stepmother refused to take her to the hospital or buy her drugs. She could not bear the pains any more so she ran away from the house to look for help. After, being helped by a Good Samaritan, she refused to go back home. She preferred being a street child rather than staying with her wicked stepmother. Afterwards she met some group of girls in seductive clothes at Ashiaman ghetto who introduced her into the business. Ever since, she has become one of them.

Also, single parenthood arising form widowhood and other cases does not allow effective child nurturing. Children need affection and attention from parents and if this desires are not fulfill they become emotionally and physically affected. They may even grow up to hate their parents for pushing them into such situations they do not wish to enter.

It is important to add that, frustration leads many young girls into prostitution. When children are frustrated, they believe in the first point of contact and whatever that person tells them to do is what they do because they feel certainly that their prayers or desire are being granted indirectly by God. 

Most of these teens are from the rural areas that migrate to Accra in search for jobs and financial assistance for survival. When all chances of obtaining financial support or job prove futile they end up in prostitution. Especially most of these female children from the northern part of the country are involved in sex trade in area like Korkormba in Accra because that is the only means of livelihood for them .They are sexually exploited in exchange for protection while living on the street.

Again, some children who lose their parents as a result of accident or death become orphans when they are neglected by their relatives. They are sometimes being accused of witchcraft or accused of killing their own parents. If thoroughly investigation is not done to know the cause of parents death, they are left to their fate. And if proper planning is not done by parents in preparing a will, the children are deny of their inheritance. The family of the decease takes all their properties forgetting the children left behind. 

Out of frustration, the female children resort to prostitution to attain some money to cater for themselves other siblings. 

In addition, some children who some relatives have promise to help in paying their school fees or sponsoring them to school are most at times disappointed by these relatives. If the child is determined to acquire education, she indulges in this act to sponsor herself to school. Again, painful treatments and situation that occurs in some children’s life drive them into immoral act like prostitution.

In an interview with a minor prostitute at medina rehabilitation centre by Crusading guide, the young girl of about sixteen years said that frustration led her into the sex trade. According to reports, her parents were dead and her relatives took away her fathers properties because no will was covering it. She had no place to stay and was scared to live with any of the relatives so she obtained a job as a house-maid but unfortunately for her, she was raped twice by her master. She was emotionally disturbed. Whenever she was alone she feels strong desire for sex. She could not control her feeling and that was how she involves herself in the business.

However, most teenage girls have a high demand for things they cannot afford; they want to possess everything in the world with a twinkle of an eye. They always want to wear expensive and flashy dresses, own posh cars and acquire things above their means. The strong desire to satisfy these lustful lifestyles has force many of the teenage girls to use all possible means to achieve them. Most of these youngsters who are materialistic are easily influenced by friends who lure them into prostitution. Some adult who are aware of their materialistic life exploit them for money.

In a nut shell, it is necessary to organize a campaign to prevent child prostitution in Ghana. Sex education by school authorities, religious groups and parents should be encouraged because it is an effective weapon against sexual waywardness.

Secondly, the commission for children’s rights should remove children who are engage in prostitution from the street and should be sent to the rehabilitation center to be sensitized. When the teenage girls are taught the advantages of chastity, the stigma associated with sex trade, the dangers they are expose to and the need to be moral before God, they will at least be conscious of the vice as well as the disgrace that comes with such act.

The government should also provide them services or facilities like formal education, work or vocational to enable effective recovery these children. It is hope that this will protect children who out of frustration and necessity sacrifice their sexuality in order to satisfy a need.