Amnesty International has urged the Ghanaian Parliament and government to immediately withdraw the proposed Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 from consideration.
The human rights organisation in a public statement on Monday said the Bill gravely contravenes the principles of equality and non-discrimination, the rights to freedom of expression, association and privacy, and the prohibition of torture enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and international human rights treaties ratified by the country.
More specifically, Amnesty said the bill denies LGBTI persons the human dignity guaranteed to all persons under section 15 of the country’s Constitution.
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“At a time when other countries around the world, including Angola and Gabon are lifting discriminatory laws targeting people for their real or perceived sexual orientation, Ghana must not go in the opposite direction,” the statement said.
“The Ghanaian authorities are encouraged to protect equality and non-discrimination and other fundamental human rights of all people in Ghana,” it said.
Amnesty’s condemnation of the bill follows a similar statement by United Nations experts which urged the government to reject a proposed ‘family values’ bill, saying it seeks to establish a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence against the LGBTI community in the country.
Check out the statement below:
Meanwhile, the ‘Proper Human Sexual and Ghanaian Family Values Bill’ 2021 also known as the Anti LGBTQI+ bill seeks to criminalise the advocacy and practice of homosexuality in Ghana.
It prescribes that people of the same sex who engage in sexual activity could be fined or jailed for between three to five years.
The Bill is a private members’ legislation being sponsored by eight Members of Parliament (MP); seven from the National Democratic Congress and one from the New Patriotic Party.
The MPs are Samuel Nartey George, Ningo-Prampram MP; Emmanuel Bedzrah, Ho West MP; Della Adjoa Sowah, Kpando MP; John Ntim Fordjour, Assin South MP and Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, Tamale North MP.
The rest are Helen Adjoa Ntoso, Krachi West MP; Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, La Dadekotopon MP and Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, South Dayi, MP.