The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is urging Parliament to engage thoroughly with the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana before proceeding with the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
CHRAJ is specifically calling on Parliament to initiate a dialogue with all stakeholders involved to uphold the rights of minority groups and safeguard their dignity.
According to CHRAJ, while the conversation surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in Africa remains highly contested, authorities should create an open space for dialogue, negotiation, and discussion on these contested issues.
During her speech at the Christop Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Deputy CHRAJ Commissioner, Mercy Larbi, representing Commissioner Joseph Whittal, emphasized the need for Parliament to conduct extensive consultations before passing the bill, with the aim of protecting the interests of all parties involved.
“It is in recognition of this reality that CHRAJ, as part of its contribution to the LGBT debate which ensued as a result of the consideration of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Proper Family Values Bill, submitted a memorandum to Parliament and strongly recommended to the House to embark on extensive engagements with all stakeholders, including the LGBT community, to arrive at outcomes that secure the dignity of everyone.”
“CHRAJ believes that it is when we listen to one another as Africans that we can agree to uphold the fundamental rights of our brothers and sisters who may not necessarily look like the majority of the population,” she stated.