The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has urged Parliament to embark on thorough engagements with the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana before proceeding with the anti-gay bill.

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 controversial issues.

The institution is therefore calling on parliament to conduct extensive consultations and engagements with all stakeholders affected by the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill to uphold the rights of minority groups and safeguard their dignity.

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Deputy CHRAJ Commissioner, Mercy Larbi, who represented Commissioner Joseph Whittal said this during her speech at the Christop Heyns African Human Rights Moot Court Competition at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

“It is in recognition of this reality that CHRAJ, as part of its contribution to the LGBTQ+ 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 LGBTQ+ 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.