Ghana’s parliament on Friday passed a bill creating prison sentences of up to 10 years for individuals who promote, sponsor or advocate LGBTQ acts and banning the financing of LGBTQ groups and activities.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill is expected to be signed by President John Dramani Mahama and will also introduce a three-year prison sentence for persons involved in LGBTQ acts.
Religious groups in the West African country have been advocating this law for a long time. Human rights supporters have condemned this.
Supporters say it protects Ghana’s family values and cultural norms. However, critics say it violates constitutional rights and can lead to discrimination and abuse.
second passage of the bill
Although the Ghanaian Parliament passed the bill unanimously in 2024, it was not signed by former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
According to the Constitution of Ghana, if the President does not sign the draft law before the end of the parliamentary term, the law automatically expires and must be re-passed by the new Parliament.
The legislation approved on Friday retains the main provisions of the previous bill, but also includes exemptions for legal professionals, members of the media and health care professionals.
Gay sex is already criminalized in Ghana under existing colonial-era law, but no prosecutions have taken place to date.
conservative wave in Africa
Human Rights Watch condemned the bill, urging the Ghanaian government to “uphold the international legal protections that guarantee equality, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, and privacy to every citizen of Ghana.”
More than 30 of Africa’s 54 countries have laws that criminalize homosexual sexual acts. Some of these laws provide for lengthy prison sentences of more than 10 years, while in countries such as Somalia, Uganda and Mauritania the penalty is death.
When the previous bill was passed in 2024, Ghana’s Finance Ministry warned that its enactment could lead to the loss of billions of dollars in international financing.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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