9 in 10 sexual and gender minority people feared stigma in Ghana’s 2024 elections – Study finds

A study by Rightify Ghana says 94.3 per cent of the sexual and gender minority people it surveyed feared stigma and discrimination during Ghana’s 2024 elections.

The human rights group shared the findings in the Ashanti Region as it trained volunteers to record rights abuses before the 2028 elections.

The study, called Navigating Democracy, looked at safety, inclusion and political participation. It covered 218 people in six regions. Of these, 176 answered a survey and 42 took part in focus groups and key informant interviews.

Fear did not stop most people from voting. About two in three respondents, 64.8 per cent, voted in 2024. Fewer took part in other ways. 26.1 per cent joined campaigns and 20.5 per cent took part in policy discussions. 30.1 per cent never took part.

Ebenezer Peegah, the Executive Director of Rightify Ghana, said people voted but met barriers.

“Our democracy is not inclusive. If we want to deepen our democracy, we need to make it inclusive,” he said.

The study found that 56.8 per cent of respondents said political campaigns affected them negatively. 42.6 per cent said very negatively.

Respondents could name more than one barrier to taking part. After stigma, 61.9 per cent named safety concerns, 47.2 per cent named family or community pressure, and 36.9 per cent named perceived legal restrictions. Lack of information was named by 33.5 per cent, and economic barriers by 32.4 per cent.

Other findings show the same pattern. 78.4 per cent said they feel unsafe taking part in civic life. 75.6 per cent said they faced or witnessed discrimination. 72.7 per cent said they see misinformation very often.

Mr Peegah said messages about key populations ran through the 2024 campaigns. He said presidential and parliamentary candidates used them, as did political leaders, sports figures and people in culture.

He said the targeting of minority groups is a sign of democratic backsliding.

The Constitution gives every person the right to vote and to be voted for. Mr Peegah said that right applies to key populations.

“These are citizens of this country who pay taxes,” he said. He said their number is enough to decide votes.

He asked political parties to campaign on issues, not on groups of people.

“We want political parties to campaign on issues that improve the lives of Ghanaians and solve problems, like unemployment and bad roads,” he said.

The volunteers, known as Equality Envoys, will record cases, follow them up and report on happenings in their own regions. They will also report when politicians make statements that put fear in people.

Rightify Ghana also runs an early warning system that teaches people the signs of democratic backsliding.

Mr Peegah cited one example. He said some traditional authorities banish people from their communities, and that only the courts can limit a person’s movement.

“There are some traditional authorities who just banish people, and that is against the law,” he said.