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UNICEF, Gabon's labour ministry, and several non-governmental organisations have launched a four-month campaign to combat child labour trafficking, UNICEF-Gabon said on Thursday. In addition to sensitising Gabonese society, the campaign particularly aims to inform children who are victims of trafficking on how to get help.
The majority of minors, both boys and girls, comes from Benin, Togo, and Nigeria. Some also come from Burkina Faso and Mali. The children often work as domestics or as helpers in small shops, usually for long hours.
To ensure a successful information campaign, the partners have decided to rely heavily on the media and other means of communication. Thus radio and TV spots, in French and Yoruba languages understood by the majority of the affected children, will air throughout the campaign, UNICEF told IRIN on Thursday. Pamphlets, flyers and billboards will also be used in the capital Libreville, Port-Gentil and Franceville, the three cities where child trafficking is prevalent, UNICEF said.
The Gabonese government is trying to create a legal framework that would combat the practice effectively. Two presidential decrees, with penalties such as fines and prison terms, were signed this year and a bill drafted by the justice ministry is waiting to be introduced.
The campaign, launched in Libreville on 27 October, will kick off in Port-Gentil on Friday. The Franceville launch will take place in January 2002.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
