Human Rights Watch urged President Nana Akufo-Addo on Tuesday to “unequivocally reject” The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 and refuse to sign it. The bill was passed last month by the parliament making it illegal to identify as LGBTQ+ in Ghana. 

Under the passed bill, anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ could face up to three years in prison, while anyone who forms or funds LGBTQ+ groups could face up to 5 years in prison. The bill awaits assent by the president before it becomes law. However, Akufo-Addo said his government will wait for a Supreme Court ruling before taking action on the bill. This follows after a challenge was instituted in the court regarding the constitutionality of the proposed law.

Larissa Kojue, one of the researchers at HRW, said that:

The anti-LGBT rights bill is inconsistent with Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and flies in the face of the country’s international human rights obligations. Such a law would not only further erode the rule of law in Ghana, but could also lead to further gratuitous violence against LGBT people and their allies. Ghana’s assaults on LGBT rights contradict its self-image as one of the friendliest nations in the world and a safe, peaceful and hospitable country. The president should do the right thing by preserving civic space and protecting freedoms of speech and assembly, and veto the bill.

According to HRW, LGBTQ+ people in Ghana have historically faced serious human rights abuses including discrimination. Since 2021, 21 LGBTQ+ activists have been arrested and detained due to allegations that they promoted homosexuality at a gathering. 

Ghana has ratified international treaties and conventions that protect LGBTQ+ people, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. If passed into law, this bill may contradict international laws on the elimination of discrimination against LGBT people. 

Ghana joins the list of African countries under the supervision of HRW in terms of the protection of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, Akufo-Addo has promised that Ghana will maintain its longstanding record of human rights observance and attachment to the rule of law.