By: Nyima Sillah
Dr. Isatou Touray, Executive Director GAMCOTRAP has emphasized that more young girls between the ages of 5-12years are exposed to child labor than boys.
In an exclusive interview with The Voice she said: “If you go to the market you see young girls between the ages of 5-12years within that adolescent age carrying bananas, oranges running from one place to another.
“Even at the time of going to school you see them carrying all sorts of things and more girls are doing it than boys. I know we have a serious economic situation but is the burden going to be carried by the children? They should not. At that informative age, the child should be going to school to further their education,” she said.
More so, she explained that sometimes some people will say is not child labor because it is their child and they can help them. Adding that most of the time when there is any situation the girl child is being abused in a way.
She noted that child labor is visible and is not something on the ground. “We have seen it and any person that is observant and concerned about recognizing children’s rights will know.”
According to her, child labor should be the responsibility of both government, and parents and they need to pen a big conversation to find out the reasons behind this issue and why these children are coming out to sell.
“If they are talking about children’s rights passed and all these bills of rights, then they should be active. These children are young, they can be subjected to rape they can disappear they can be picked up,” she added.
However, she suggested that there is a need to amplify these issues, and therefore call on the NGOs, government, and institutions to start having conversations on how we get these children out of that situation even though culturally some will tell you this is how we teach them to learn skills.
“Let them go to school, let us empower them. These are the present and the future leaders who are working at this informative age.”
