Executive Summary

Pursuant to the protections guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which provides for freedom from violence and discrimination for all persons, as well as ACHPR Resolution 275 of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which calls on states to prevent and address violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, all individuals are entitled to protection from such abuses. This report documents concerns raised by human rights Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) about the increase in violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics (SOGIES) in Ghana, with a particular focus on the northern part of the country.

The report examines the institution of traditional leadership and how its power dynamics have contributed to acts of violence and discrimination against citizens who are perceived to be sexual and gender minorities. It further analyses the impact of these practices on victims and highlights the broader human rights implications arising from them. The cases featured in this report were submitted to the Symbiosis Initiative Ghana’s Legal Desk Project, including those shared on social media and tracked by another CSO, Rightify Ghana. This report further highlights specific instances of some of these practices and the institutional barriers to addressing them. It also proposes advocacy and policy reform pathways, including measures to penalize or prosecute perpetrators and provide remedies for victims.