donate

Trafficking’s Footprint Report Unveils Widespread Child Slavery in Ghana

A new research report has uncovered cases of child trafficking and exploitation in six districts of Ghana. Field teams documented more than 500 instances of child trafficking in 20 communities surveyed in 2016, and 107 households with cases of child trafficking in 14 additional communities studied in 2017. The findings are revealed in a just-completed […]

By Terry FitzPatrick

May 3, 2018

A new research report has uncovered cases of child trafficking and exploitation in six districts of Ghana. Field teams documented more than 500 instances of child trafficking in 20 communities surveyed in 2016, and 107 households with cases of child trafficking in 14 additional communities studied in 2017.

The findings are revealed in a just-completed report, Trafficking’s Footprint, which is now available on the Free the Slaves Ghana program webpage.

Free the Slaves and our partner organizations conducted the research to establish a baseline database for our Growing Up Free project to confront child trafficking in Ghana. The research also provides valuable context about the drivers and mechanics of trafficking in specific project communities so that tailored project activities could be developed.

Research teams discovered a wide range of trafficking prevalence in the 34 communities studied. In two villages, 2 percent of the households are affected by child trafficking, while in another village 100 percent of the households are affected. In almost all communities residents expressed a desperate need for income-generating activities to reduce vulnerability to child trafficking.

Lake Volta fishing | Photo: FTS/Teague

 

Half of the cases identified in the 2016 phase of the study involved children trafficked to fishing boats on Lake Volta. “Children who fall victim to trafficking are not able to exercise their most basic rights and are often forced to work all day and even throughout the night in some cases,” researchers found. “These children are vulnerable to physical and mental abuse. They are frequently beaten, starved, raped or forced into sexual relations.”

The Trafficking’s Footprint report outlines how Free the Slaves will respond to the causes and impact of child trafficking. The project will focus on community vulnerabilities, livelihoods, teen pregnancy, infrastructure improvement and awareness-raising on Ghanaian trafficking laws.

Community training | Photo: FTS/Teague

 

The study focus only on the 34 communities where Free the Slaves teams are at work, and is not intended to represent the scope or prevalence of child trafficking or exploitation throughout Ghana.

Can you help end the conditions that cause modern slavery?

donate

Related Posts

Shedding Light on Hidden Exploitation: Research Dissemination on Child Domestic Workers in Kathmandu, Nepal

Shedding Light on Hidden Exploitation: Research Dissemination on Child Domestic Workers in Kathmandu, Nepal

by | Sep 30, 2025

Child domestic labor in Nepal is one of the most hidden and normalized forms of exploitation. Despite legal protections, children from rural and disadvantaged communities continue to be trafficked or sent to work in urban households, where they face long hours, hazardous conditions, and isolation. To shed light on these realities, Free the Slaves (FTS) and CWISH conducted a qualitative study, Life as Child Domestic Workers in Kathmandu, and shared its findings at a dissemination event with government, civil society, and child protection stakeholders. The research highlights urgent gaps in protection and calls for systemic reforms to ensure every child’s right to dignity, education, and safety.

read more
Inside the Hidden World of Nepal’s Child Domestic Workers

Inside the Hidden World of Nepal’s Child Domestic Workers

by | Aug 13, 2025

Behind the closed doors of urban homes in Nepal, thousands of children—mostly from rural villages—work long hours in exchange for shelter, food, or a small wage. Often invisible to the public and absent from national statistics, these children face isolation from friends and family, interruptions in their schooling, and in some cases, hazardous labor.

Our new research with CWISH uncovers the pathways that lead children into domestic work, the daily realities they face, and the factors—poverty, lack of rural education, family pressures—that make them vulnerable. More importantly, it highlights the voices of the children themselves and offers actionable recommendations for government, educators, employers, and communities to create safer, fairer futures.

read more
Exploitation and Extraction: How Armed Groups are Fueling Modern Slavery in DRC’s Cocoa Sector

Exploitation and Extraction: How Armed Groups are Fueling Modern Slavery in DRC’s Cocoa Sector

by | Apr 24, 2025

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s cocoa sector is growing—but so is the exploitation behind it. New research by Free the Slaves reveals how armed groups and corrupt actors are using violence, forced labor, and smuggling to control cocoa production in eastern DRC. As cocoa beans flow into global supply chains, the human cost remains hidden. This new report examines the links between modern slavery and illicit resource appropriation—and what governments, industry, and the international community must do to stop it.

read more