The President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Ghana), Afua Brown-Eyeson, has been appointed the Lead for the Child Online Protection (COP) Division of the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), effective 1^st February 2022.

Ms Brown-Eyeson who was called to the bar 20 years ago will work with relevant stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the COP provisions in the Cybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038).

She will further engage with national level stakeholders to increase commitment to child sexual exploitation and abuse prevention and response, and lead in the development of appropriate support services for victims, including prosecutions of child online sexual offences.

Sections 62-67 of the Cybersecurity Act 2020, (Act 1038), criminalises child online abuses including the production, viewing and distribution of child sexual abuse materials, online grooming of children, cyberstalking of a child and sextortion. Upon conviction, the Act penalises such offences up to 25 years.

According to a 2021 UNICEF report, globally, one in five girls and one in 13 boys have been sexually exploited or abused by electronic means before reaching the age of 18.

A report from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children also indicates that more than 13,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse were accessed or uploaded from Ghana in 2020; highlighting the need for improved and collective national response to protect the Ghanaian child.

According to the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, “the protection of children online is one of the cybersecurity priorities of the government”.

“The government of Ghana is therefore committed to promoting a safe and positive use of internet among children and young people even as we continue to drive Ghana’s digitalisation agenda”, she added.

Protection of children on the internet is one of the mandates of the Cyber Security Authority.

The authority was established under Section 2 of the Cybersecurity Act, 2020 (Act 1038) to regulate cybersecurity.