ABSTRACT

The trafficking of women and young girls is a serious violation of human rights and gross social injustice. According to the US Department of State (2014) report on global human trafficking, Ghana is a source of, transit route, and destination for girls and women subject to forced labour, sex trafficking, and domestic servitude on a continent in which human trafficking is growing exponentially, with approximately 50,000 people trafficked from Africa each year (Obuah, 2006). In Ghana, as in most African countries, nongovernment organisations (NGOs) assume a major responsibility for recovery and reintegration programs for survivors of human trafficking with limited resources from central governments. One such NGO in Ghana is Lifeline, based in the capital, Accra. This chapter begins with a general discussion of human trafficking and the factors contributing to the trafficking of women and girls in Ghana. It then examines the relationship between human trafficking and poverty alleviation through a brief discussion of the recent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) before outlining the legal framework for antitrafficking measures. It then describes the work of Lifeline in assisting survivors of trafficking in Ghana and how social workers might be involved in prevention, intervention, and research in this field.