A parliamentary roundtable on human trafficking in Ghana took an emotional turn when survivor and advocate Bernice Ofei shared her story and called for urgent action to protect vulnerable people from exploitation.

The event, hosted by the MP for Mpraeso, Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, brought together lawmakers, stakeholders and advocates to discuss ways to tackle the growing trafficking threat.

Bernice spoke openly about how she was lured to Dubai with the promise of a hotel job, only to find herself trapped in domestic work under harsh conditions for two weeks. 

She told MPs that her experience was not unique, warning that traffickers increasingly use social media and other online platforms to target victims.

She also raised alarm over the exploitation of children through organised begging syndicates on the streets, stressing that many of these children are controlled by trafficking networks rather than acting independently.

Bernice urged Parliament to invest in widespread public education, including school programmes on online safety, safe migration and spotting the early signs of exploitation. 

She also called for community campaigns to expose and dismantle street-level trafficking rings.

The Deputy Minister for Gender, Women and Social Protection, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, and other Members of Parliament present, including Davis Ansah Opoku of Mpraeso, Darkoa Newman of Okaikoi Central, Paul Twum Barimah of Dormaa East and Charles Acheampong of Lower West Akim, among others, shared their views on how disruptive trafficking had become in various constituencies across the country.

Her words drew strong reactions from MPs, with several pledging to push for legal reforms to address trafficking facilitated through digital platforms and to work with survivor advocates to raise public awareness.

Closing her remarks, Bernice said: “I stand here not as a victim, but as a voice for others who have no voice. Education is our most powerful weapon against this crime.”