Purpose of this request The main purpose of this request is to fight against child trafficking and labour abuse within the fishing communities, Main cities and Cocoa Plantations of Ghana. It is drawn from series of research conducted by the organisation within Ghana which involves among other strategies, face-to-face interviews with victims and some family members, traders, villagers, farmers and fishermen within these communities to determine why the above selected areas are noted for high rates of child trafficking trade in Ghana. After our survey analysis it is seen that emergency strategies needs to be put in place to prevent, retrieve, rehabilitate and reintegrate children brought into this societal ill by traffickers who stand to benefit at the detriment of these innocent and vulnerable children.

Pproject Description Violence against Children in Ghana is a practice which takes different forms and has been going on for generation. Violence against children is manifested in all sort of dehumanizing cultural practices in our society. The most recent and most troubling form of violence is trafficking in human (especially young boys and girls) which is now the third largest criminal activity in the world ranking after arms and drug trafficking. The government of Ghana and the sub region as a whole has realized that this practice of human trafficking is rife and on the increase and there is therefore a need to take active steps to address this issue of modern slavery by all development stakeholders.

Though Ghana is a party to many international conventions and treaties meant at eliminating all forms of violence on children; and even a signatory to International Labour Organization (ILO) convention No 182 which is out to prevent worst forms of child labour abuse, this issue of child trafficking and labour abuse is still on a daily increase in the country and these conventions and treaties are of no use if the abnormalities they are meant to correct are not addressed.

Various socio-economic factors have led to the prevalence of trafficking of children in Ghana. The cultural setting makes it very easy for trafficking to take place. The removal of a child from one village to another by a relative or a friend is considered normal and this of course has led to this situation being capitalized on by the traffickers. There are also so many situations where "uncles, aunties and relative" go to the rural areas and some urban areas as well and take up these children. There are also situations where people willingly volunteer to go, thinking that they are going for particular job only to realize that they have been taken advantage of. More girls and boys are trafficked as premium value is placed on girls rather than boys.

Poverty and illiteracy can said to be major contribution to trafficking in Ghana today. Ghana is relatively a poor country. The majority of the population lives in extreme poverty and there is also an extremely high level of illiteracy. The poverty levels in the rural areas are far more acute than exist in the urban areas. This situation of acute poverty, lead to parents "selling off" their children for a fee. Many of these parents hand over their children to these middlemen, thinking that they are sending their children off to a better life in the big cities, fishing communities and cocoa farms within the country. This however is not to be the case. These traffickers in many instances promise the family that the child would have better opportunity in the city or wherever he/she lives an also that they will be trained and return to the family at the end of a number of years. In many instances, the parents are given a token amount of money and promised that they will receive more at the end of each month.

Some fishing communities buy trafficked children to help them in their trade. The children who are mostly young boys, and in some cases girls as well are required to dive deep into the water to disentangle the nets. Children are considered best for these jobs due to their small frame and small size of their fingers. More often than not, when these children are bought, no steps are taken to ensure that they know to swim before they are made to dive to the bottom of the sea or the river. The reason for this being that when the children, die on their way down, that is considered as a sign of good fortune as it means that there will be bumper harvest that season. There are also instances where the children are beheaded in the water, as it is believed that the blood of the children in the water will ensure a bumper harvest for the fishermen.

There is a lack on enforcement legislation and this has of course encouraged the traffickers to continue what they are doing with impunity. The police, customs and excise and preventive services, the ministry of justice and the immigration services needs to be sensitized as to how to identify and deal with such issues as and when they come across them. Community human rights groups within villages needs to be created, train and given necessary resources to combat situation of child trafficking.

Work to be done:
In the coming two years we will carry out the following activities.

• Hold meetings with community members and government departments meant at creating awareness and developing strategies to combat the current situation of Child trafficking within Ghana.
• Set up anti trafficking watch-groups within strategic locations to be determined.
• Carry out capacity building of Anti Trafficking Watch-Groups and community human right groups on ways to identify, track down and report perpetrators of child trafficking.
• Promote income generating activities among the families of victims and the community at large.
• Provide school equipments such as books, uniforms and fee to victims to enable them attend school to better up their lives in the future.
• Net-work with traditional authorities and government departments such as the police the judiciaries and the social welfare officials to assist in our intervention strategies and arrest when it is necessary.
• Retrieve victims and reintegrate them with their families and society and also help them to continue with schooling or learn a trade.
• Purchase a 4x4 van which will be used for project implementation.
• Set up a vocational training center for victims who will be interested to learn a trader.

Situation of Women Rights in Ghana

The Constitution of Ghana, which is the fundamental law of the land, makes specific provisions for the treatment of women in Ghana.

Article 17 of the constitution provides that all persons are equal before the law. It further provides that a person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender. The constitution defines discrimination as giving different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective race, gender occupation, religious or creed. Article 18 provides that every person has the right to own property either alone or in association with others. 18(2) provides that no person shall be subject to interference with the privacy of her home, property, correspondence or communication except in accordance with law.

Article 26(2) provides that all customary practices which dehumanize or are injurious to the physical and mental well being of any person are prohibited. Article 27 states that women shall be guaranteed equal rights to training and promotion without any impediments from any person.

Throughout the constitution therefore, one realises that there are provisions that protect the interest and rights of women in Ghana. One however realises that though these provisions are enshrine and existing in the constitution, there are many instances where by virtue of customs and traditions, the rights of the women are blatantly trampled upon, ignored and disrespected. There are subtle, entrenched and accepted forms of discrimination against the woman in our society and there is a need to address these forms of discrimination as an emergency.

Though Ghana has ratified a majority of International treaties like the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights, these laws are of no use if the abnormalities they are meant to correct are not addressed.

In our research finding we realised that there are certain inimical practices in Ghana, which are detrimental to women. The issue however is that these practices have been going on for long that the society have come to accept them as "normal" or as part of their culture. One worst scenario discovered by our research findings is the Trokosi system practiced by the Ewes scattered all over Ghana where male members of their families commit virgins to shrines of certain deities as reparation for crimes not only committed by themselves but by other family members. The Trokosis are slaves to the shrines and are therefore in bondage to the shrine. They are regarded as the wives of the priests with whom they live and on many instances find it nearly impossible to be integrated back into the society from where they came.

Another worst scenario is the complete eradication of the powers to foster peace, dialogue and the socio-cultural development of women and the girl child, formally carried out by Queen Mothers and Chief's wives in the Northern regions of Ghana. The absent of Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives in the decision making forum of the villages of the Northern region of Ghana is one of the reasons why there is rampant out break of intra and inter-tribal wars because of chieftaincy disputes in these part of Ghana.

There is this misconception that the typical African Woman is long suffering and accepts her lot and that, recent clamours for equality are a western notion and need to be done away with. This notion is false and government in close collaboration with civil society organisations, Traditional authorities, Human right groups and women organisations must take steps to ensure that specific laws are passed, where these do not exist, to deal with the practices that are discriminating towards women's empowerment.

Project Description
The ongoing chieftaincy disputes which has erupted into ethnic violence and war like situations in Bawku, Buipe, and the unforgiving ruthless killing of the paramount chief of the Dagbon tribe in Yendi, in the Northern Region of Ghana goes to justify the need for Queen Mothers and Chief's wives to get out of their slumber, and re-gain their lost powers from selfish traditional authorities and work for everlasting peace and harmony within the Northern Region of Ghana.

The Ghanaian Minister of Women and Children's Affairs once said in one of her speeches during a meet the Press Series in February 2007 that in the Northern Region of Ghana, there are no Queen mothers but "magazias" (Women Leaders) as compared to the southern part of Ghana. The absence of these Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives in the milieu of decision making has caused so much on the human rights violation of women and the girl child in the region thereby relegating them to second class or maybe third class citizens.

The above mentioned chieftaincy crisis in the Northern region of Ghana has been going on for a couple of years now though at certain moments there seems to be a situation of truce. The recent fighting in Bawku and Buipe is in its seven month now and it is on the bases of this that we want to intervene to rally up Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives to re-gain back their lost rights and work as ambassadors of peace to put this fighting to an end.

It should be noted here that those who suffer all sort of abuse during intra or inter-tribal wars are mostly women and children because of their vulnerable nature in the society. This says why Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives should get out of their slumber and take up the challenge to put this crisis to an end. Women are highly recognised as peace makers once given the chance to mediate in conflict situation, they have the capability of subduing men once educated on the strategies to do that by change organisations like PAORP.VWC.

Project Justification
The on-going fighting and war in Bawku and Buipe are constantly leading towards more violation of the rights of women and this can only be stopped and uphold by a rallying force of Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives who by tradition are supposed to be recognised by community members as change agents and leaders when it comes to decisions making within their communities. The Queen Mothers are also supposed to be peace makers and conflict mediators by virtue of their traditional roles.

Our research has proved that the southern parts of Ghana are more peaceful than that of the Northern parts of Ghana because the roles of Queen Mothers and Chief wives in the southern parts has to a greater extend contributed to the peaceful atmosphere prevailing in that parts of Ghana.

The analysis of our survey indicates that many Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives possess exceptional leadership qualities which need to be given a push to enable them advocate and gain access and control over leadership positions.

This project is designed to embrace and vividly used as an opportunity to advocate, promote and regain lost rights of Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives who have been subjected to inhuman treatment by the custodians of traditions in the Northern Region of Ghana. Again, on-going chieftaincy and political crises in the region which has contributed to the violation, abuse and relegation of women as subordinates to their men counterparts is damaging to the woman as a human being and completely contrary to the various International Conventions on Human Rights and Freedom of Association ratified by the government of Ghana.

Project implementation strategies
To achieve the main objective of this project, the follow strategies will be jointly implemented in the three Northern Regions of Ghana. This will take place as soon as funds are available.

1. Wide range consultative meetings with Queen Mothers, Chiefs wives and Women Aspirants for political and leadership positions

2. Training on quality leadership skills, Human Rights of Women, their roles and functions and their rights within their communities as role models and women leaders as manifested by the Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives of the southern parts of Ghana.

3. Dialogue meetings with traditional authorities on the roles and functions of Queen Mothers and Chiefs wives in the promotion of peace and harmony within their immediate communities

4. Organise Queen Mothers' and Chiefs wives forum to come up with a platform which is going to be in the like manner of the House of chiefs. This will allow them to have a collective feminist voice to advocate for their rights and freedom.

5. Institute net-working and exchange visits between the Queen mothers and Chief wives of the southern part to those of the Northern Part of Ghana.

6. Monitoring and evaluation of the project.

The Relationship of this Project with Broader Strategies on Women's Rights Advancement in Ghana.
This project is in line with Article 17 of the constitution of Ghana which provides that all persons are equal before the law. It further provides that a person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender. The constitution defines discrimination as giving different treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their respective race, gender occupation, religious or creed. It is also in line with Article 18 of the constitution of Ghana which provides that every person has the right to own property either alone or in association with others and 18(2) which provides that no person shall be subject to interference with the privacy of her home, property, correspondence or communication except in accordance with law.

The project is also in line with Article 26(2) which provides that all customary practices which dehumanize or are injurious to the physical and mental well being of any person are prohibited. It is also in conformity with Article 27 which states that women shall be guaranteed equal rights to training and promotion without any impediments from any person.

Equally this project aims at ensuring that Queen Mothers, chiefs wives and women aspirants for political positions are given access and control over productive resources and political will to champion the course against any form of violation of their rights. It is also going to advocate for the implementation and the realisation of the International Conventions and Treaties ratified by the government of Ghana on women's Human Rights and Freedom. (Details will be made available on request)

Project Justification:
When it comes to providing food to the immediate family and the society women are at the center of it. They work longer hours during the day in their farms. After returning home from the farms they are the ones expected to provide the family meal. If this is lacking, they are subjected to all forms of domestic violence by husbands for failing in this duties of their. Because of this reason this project is design to training women groups on some labour saving techniques and provide them with modern agricultural processing mills which will go along to reduce their long hours of work in the farms and time spend on their domestic duties at home.

Methods of Implementation:
Some selected topics meant at empowering rural women to be able to perform their duties and improve on their livelihood will be package out and delivered to some selected women leaders who could read and write so that after the training session they will multiply the package to their various groups at grassroots level.

The following topics will be facilitated to participating women groups.

• Modern Agricultural Practises.
• How to do timing and marketing of agricultural produce
• Food crop preservation, processing and handling.
• Record Keeping/Financial literacy.
• How to monitor and evaluate projects.
• Leadership/ Group Dynamics.
• How to set up an income generating project and succeed.
• Land Tenure system and women's rights to land.
• How to handle modern agricultural processing mills to reduce women labour etc.

Provision of Processing Mills:
This will include
Rice Mills
Corn Mills
Sheer butter processing mill.
Cassava mills etc

Women are those mostly using these mills to meet up with the demand of food by the family and the society, that is why from our collaboration with them they requested these mills as a means of reducing their long hours of labour. (Details will be made available on request)

What is the problem?
The northern regions of Ghana are the most deprived areas as far as education is concern for the girl child. The cultural practices of the area make it completely difficult for female children to attend basic educational level. They are meant to assist their mothers at home and learn how to do domestic work that will prepare them well for their future husband's homes. Even if they are to learn a trade/craft they are sent to do things like tailoring which has dominate the whole area and does not yield any economic value to improve on their livelihood. They are not even taught how to read or write English making it very difficult for them to interact with the rest of the society. Tailoring which is their main job is just another way for them to be useful in their homes to sew or stitch husband or children dresses when they are torn. From our survey we have notice that this sole activity has been the order of day here in the northern region of Ghana and has been going on for more than 10 years. When we try to find out what graduates from this craft are doing now to earn a living we saw that more than 85% of them between the ages of 15-20 years are already married with children and are not actually involve in any business of sewing nor having any workshop of theirs. 30% of them are having one sewing machine at home to help stitch family dresses. None of them could express herself well in English. They are just baby factories in their husband's homes and are daily been subjected to all forms of violence and abuse.

What has to be done?
We have identify homes where most of these poor girls are coming from and in collaboration with their parents agreed to look for available financial means to help educates young girls from these home so that they will be able to further their education and avoid the same route used by their elder sisters.

This means will help stop early girl child marriage and will also improve on their health situation at tender age. 200 young girls have been envisaged to benefit from this project which is meant at providing them with basic school needs and tuition for five years to continue education. After their graduation from basic educational level lot of negotiations would have taken place with their parents to continue to further their education to higher level so that they may become responsible citizens and help the family in the near future.

How will this idea positively impact the lives girls?
This project once implemented will have lot of impact on the lives of girls who are the most vulnerable in the society. It is designed in such a way that it will improve on the level of girls interaction in the society; it will also reduces gender gaps and empower girls as useful citizens to the society in the near future. It should be noted here that once a woman is empowered the livelihood of the community is improved upon. Once you educate a girl you have educated the whole nation. This is one of our core values and we will make sure that the objective of this project is achieved when it is under implementation. (Details will be made available on request)

What is the problem this project or idea would aim to solve?
The project is aimed at improving the nutrition level of malnourished women and children in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of Northern Ghana. These people of the Northern Region of Ghana are predominantly peasant farmers. They cultivate crops and rear livestock on a subsistence basis, even though due to certain environmental factors such as drought and flooding of farmland by water and cultural practices, yield from such ventures have been low. The low levels of crops production are such that families run out of food, a few months after harvesting, resulting in food insecurity and malnutrition among women and children most part of the year. Women who are generally family managers and keepers in the district suffer food challenges during the lean season and had to spend the little proceeds on food to feed their children and husband with just one square meal a day which is poor in nutritional qualities because of the poverty level of the families. This situation has in most cases bring about all sort of domestic violence on women and child trafficking an labor abuse on the children who are sold and forced to travel out of their families to perform worst form of labor to their new masters within the urban areas, fishing communities and cocoa plantation around Ghana.

What are the idea / opportunity to solve it?
The issue to be addressed at the moment is to support two hundred (200) women in 5 communities with poultry farming (improve fowl breeds) 200 hundred nannies (female goats) and one hundred male goats to rear as a group. The poultry farms and goat paddock will provide manure that will be used by the women to improve soil fertility leading to high yield of crops production. Some of the animals after breeding will be used by the farmers to subsidies their food nutrient (protein) and will also be marketed to generate more income to the family. This will give financial autonomy to women and will go along way to stop domestic violence on women and children and bring about sustainable livelihood. The future breeds of some of the animals will also be used as a Pass-Over Gift to expand on the project to other poor women families to be identified within the nearby communities after project phase-out. The pass-over-gift will be arranged in way that once the nannies (female goats) delivered the young ones will be passed over to other women trap in poverty situation. This same idea will also be apply to the poultry farms for the expansion and sustainability of the project

How will this idea positively impact the lives of poor or vulnerable people?
This project once implemented will have lot of impact to the lives of women and children who are most vulnerable in the society. It is designed in such a way that it will improve on the nutrition level of the family by providing them protein from the consumption of some of the animals. It will improve crop production and yield because droppings from the animals will be used as organic manure to improve soil fertility. The proceeds from the sale of chickens and some of animals (goats) after fulfilling their agreement on the Pass-Over-Gift will be re-ploughed back into the business and some used to improve on their nutrition level, pay children school fee and take care of their hospital bills when they are sick. The project will also help to reduce rampant domestic violence inflicted on women because of poverty due to lack of financial autonomy. It will eradicate the sale of children by parents to traffickers for labor abuse. 200 women in 5 communities of Nyerizegu, Digu, Daasuyili, Tali koblimahagu, Gburumani Tibogu will be direct beneficiaries. In the long run it will be extended to other 5 communities of Gbanjon, Gbambaya, Nabligu, Nlalayili and Begu and will benefit more than 5000-20000 people as indirect beneficiaries.

Why now?
As the saying goes "it is better late than never" this situation has been going on in this part of the country for long because of lack of good will from the authorities and again because of ignorant on methods of improving the nutritional level of the family by the poor farmer community. It was after a series of interventions in this locality to determine for ourselves the reasons behind high rate of malnourish children and rampant domestic violence on women and children. From our survey we saw that the major cause of this problem is due to poverty and lack of financial and technical skills to diversify and improve on farm land fertility to improve crop yield to fight malnutrition and domestic violence. We also saw for ourselves that the protein intake of women and children is very poor because of the financial situation of the families. Women labour a lot to feed the family and have no major economic activity which could help improve on the financial level of their immediate families. From this analysis we held series of meetings, focus group discussions and face-to-face interviews with target beneficiaries to design this project which is their top priority to improve on their livelihood.

What is the measurable impact that could be expected in 3-5 years?
This project is design in way that its continuity and sustainability is assured. The animals will help improve on the economic potentials of 200 women within the pilot phase. Once the animals start multiplying the project will be expanded to other 200 women to be identify within nearby communities suffering the same consequences. More children will attend schools rather than sold for labour abuse in the major cities and fishing communities of Ghana. The health situation of women and children will improve from the consumption of some of the animals and good food from their farms. Soil fertility will be improved with manure from the animals to fight drought and desertification. Women will own and manage economic resources thereby regaining their empowerment to combat domestic violence. (Details will be made available on request)

This project is to address the pervasive accusations of women as witches in the Zabzugu Tatale district in the Northern Region of Ghana. The large Gnani witch camp is based in this district. Witchcraft accusations are a culturally sanctioned form of gender violence. Committed predominantly against women, many of whom challenge dominant gender norms or are disempowered by age and economic status, these allegations frequently lead to the banishment and lynching of the accused persons. This fundamental denial of human and citizenship rights is both an alarming and markedly complex problem. In the context of community development and socialization process in the northern region, witchcraft has become a major hindrance to the realization of cohesion, equity, justice and sustainable livelihood.

The marked absence of information and education about the law and the rights of women in the rural communities has contributed to the increasing evidence of witchcraft allegations and the consequential hardships against women. (Details will be made available on request)

Executive summary:
A pregnant woman's nutrition directly influences the course of the pregnancy and normal fetal development, and also the long-term health of the mother and child. An expectant mother needs extra nutrition. Not only is she eating in order to nourish her unborn baby, but also to nourish herself and compensate for the flow of nutrition across the placenta to the fetus. This project is as a result of a researched carried out by the organization to determine the food consumption patterns, dietary quality and health status of expectant women and also to assess their level of awareness of nutritional requirements during pregnancy. Food beliefs, taboos/superstitions held by the women were also investigated. Using the purposive sampling technique, 60 pregnant women attending the Maternal and Child Health Clinic at Tamale (rural) and Bolgatanga (rural) were selected for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the respondents' nutritional knowledge, beliefs, taboos/superstitions and health status. A food frequency questionnaire and the 24-h dietary recall method were used to obtain information on food consumption patterns and dietary quality. The study revealed that, although the majority of the respondents (40%) had some knowledge of nutrition, not all were applying it in their feeding practices. With regard to consumption patterns, 33.8% were having two meals a day, while the rest either ate once a day or anytime they were hungry. 35% of the respondents also increased their food intake during pregnancy. Foods eaten were based mainly on starchy roots and tubers, cereals and vegetables. Legumes, oilseeds and fruits were often lacking in the main meals of respondents. Although animal products were sometimes consumed, the quantities taken were very small to provide for adequate protein. Various types of food were avoided by some of the expectant mothers for reasons such as nausea, loss of appetite, taboos and superstition. With regard to dietary quality, respondents had diets of poorer quality in terms of nutrient intake. In both communities, iron contents of diets were quite low. 55.5% of the women interviewed were anaemic. Common ailments reported by the women were dizziness, headache, waist pains, stomach ach and malaria. Based on the results obtained, it was recommended that nutrition education for pregnant women should be stepped up at antenatal clinics and women meeting groups within these regions. (Details will be made available on request)

This project seeks to enhance the socio-economic status of deprived rural community youths and women through the provision of micro-credits to initiatives which will bring about a multiplier effects to the livelihood of the local entrepreneurs and the society at large.

RFYWEP is a social enterprise oriented project, which seeks to raise the income levels of rural youths and women. It is designed to counter the gender barriers pose to women and youths by big financial institutions demanding lots of collateral securities before people of these groups could access credits or loans.

Our research into this sector before coming up with this project has shown that enough access to financial services such as credit and savings will enable small and medium sized enterprises to develop their economic activities, guaranteeing a better income and raising the overall standard of living for themselves, their family and their employees.

We noticed that women are the best in managing finances put at their disposal; they will always borrow and pay back within the stipulate time given to them by the lenders. Since most banking institutions demands lots of collateral security which these rural women and youths don't have, they turn to money lenders who gives them money on a higher percentage than the normal bank interest of 30-40% charged by banks here in Ghana. Money lenders don't even give them grace period of one to two months before they start repayment of the loan. They are required to start instalmental payment one week after receiving the loan. This situation has discourages entrepreneurial skills and talents and subjected desperate youths and women to be slaves to the money lenders. Sometimes they end up selling their personal properties to pay for money which has yielded them no profit.

Objective of RFYWEP Scheme are:

• To provide easy and affordable access to micro-credits meant at promoting the local initiatives of youths and women entrepreneurs and farmers at an interest rate of between 10-15% of the amount borrowed.
• Narrow the gender gap existing between women, youths and men when it comes to economic investment and financial sustainability.
• Promote the potentials and involvement of youths and women into small and medium size enterprises within their immediate community. This will reduces unemployment, domestic violence and trafficking of children within our target communities.
• Promote food crop production and good nutrition practices through the provision of small credits to local farmers who do not qualify for loans from big banking institutions because of lack of security.
• Promote saving and borrowing among youths and women groups as a tool for economic empowerment and sustainability.
• Enhances the respect and involvement of youths and women into decision making forums within their immediate environment. (Details will be made available on request)

Summary:
In Ghana domestic violence bill of 2007 and The Children's Act, 1998 (Act 560) has been passed into law but rural disadvantaged people, especially women and children do not have any idea of the act and its provisions. From our research analysis, over 80% of women and children in rural areas are victims of abuse and all forms of violence. Disabled associations in rural areas in Ghana need to be educated on the disability act that was passed in July 2006 to protect the rights and dignity of disable and vulnerable persons. Disabled People are equally ignorant of provisions in the newly passed disability act and the local government Act (456), which provides roles and opportunities for people with disabilities, just as rural women are not informed about provisions in the domestic violence bill and the Ghana women's manifesto. In Ghana the rural populations including some within the urban areas are not informed of the benefits to be derives from the country National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). This has led to poor access to health facilities by the poor. The failure of the policy makers in Ghana to enforce the sensitization and education of the masses on the importance of these Bills and the NHIS to improve their livelihoods has brought untold suffering on women, children and the disable members of the society thereby barring them from exercising their democratic rights and freedom. On a daily basis, the rights of women, children and the disable persons in Ghana are violated in various forms with impunity while the perpetrators often go unpunished because the victims are ignorant and usually have little or no access to the justice system.

In Cameroon Decree No 90/1549 has established a National Committee on Human Rights and Freedom with priority to increase measures to promote widespread awareness on the right of women children and the disable persons; and the dangers involve in all forms of Violence and abuse on these vulnerable groups. This structure is not functioning well because the government lacks adequate material and human resources to enforce the work of this institution. The ministry of Social Affairs which is the coordinator of government action on questions relating to violence and abuse on women, children and the disable lack field staff in the divisions of the provinces to implement its programs. Law No 2005/015 of 29/12/2005 and other clauses of the Penal Code put in place to punish perpetrators of violence and abuse on women and children exists but the population is not sensitized on the existence and importance of these laws. Ghana and Cameroon share the same similarities; Trafficking of women and children for labour abuse is taking place within the main cities and cocoa plantations of both countries with the administrative officials watching with their eyes closed. On a daily basis in Cameroon like Ghana, the rights of women, children and the disable persons are violated in various forms with impunity while the perpetrators always go unpunished because the victims are ignorant and usually have little or no access to the justice system.

Background:
In Ghana and Cameroon above 60% of the population lives in rural areas. 95% of rural inhabitants are peasants' farmers (most of whom earn less than a dollar a day) and petty traders. Above 62% of these populations are women and children. To meet up with sustainable development initiatives in both countries requires building the capacity and enhancing the abilities of these poor vulnerable groups (women, children, disabled, peasants), to advocate for the fulfillment and protection of their constitutional rights (economic, social, political) and to play meaningful roles in decision making governance at the local level. Ghana and Cameroon is highly noted as one of those countries in Sub- Sahara Africa where there is a lot of Slogan on government policies rather than actual implementation of these policies, Bills and Laws meant at promoting good governance and the protection of the rights of women, children and the disable persons. Endless meetings within the government circle has been taking place in both countries meant at addressing these issues at stake but little is taking place on the field. Thus women, children and the disable are constantly victims of circumstances.

Based on this, we saw that it is only a United Action of Local Human Rights NGOs in both countries which will helped to enforce, educate and create awareness within the grassroots on good governance practices and the existence and methods of accessing redress using these various Bills and Acts when their rights are trampled and abused by selfish individuals. Once this is done, these vulnerable groups will know their rights and be able to combat and prevent all forms of violence and abuse melted on them by the society; thereby opening up participation of women, children and the disable persons in governance and decision making circles; which will go along way to promote better livelihood and sustainable development. (Details will be made available on request)