On Friday, Ghana's Parliament passed a bill imposing prison terms of up to 10 years for individuals who promote, sponsor or advocate LGBTQ+ acts and banning the funding of groups and activities.

The human sexual rights and family values bill is expected to be signed into law by President John Dramani Mahama and would also impose three-year prison terms for individuals engaging in homosexual acts.

Religious groups in the West African country have long advocated for the legislation. Human rights advocates have condemned it.

Supporters say it protects Ghanaian family values and cultural norms. However, critics say it violates constitutional rights and could lead to discrimination and abuse.

Second passage of the bill

Although Ghana's parliament passed the bill unanimously in 2024former President Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign it.

According to the Ghanaian constitution, if the president does not sign draft legislation before the end of a parliamentary term, the legislation automatically expires and must be passed again by the new parliament.

The law approved on Friday retains the core provisions of the previous bill, but it also includes exemptions for legal professionals, members of the media, and healthcare professionals.

Same-sex sexual relations are already criminalized in Ghana under an existing colonial-era law, but there have been no prosecutions to date.

Conservative wave in Africa

Human Rights Watch condemned the bill, urging Ghana's government to "uphold the international legal protections that guarantee every Ghanaian equality, non-discrimination, freedom of expression, and privacy."

More than 30 of Africa's 54 countries have laws that criminalize same-sex sexual acts. Some of these laws carry lengthy jail terms of more than 10 years, while in countries like Somalia, Uganda, and Mauritania, the punishment is death.

When the previous bill was passed in 2024, Ghana's Ministry of Finance warned that its enactment could jeopardize billions of dollars in international financing.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

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