Ghanaian lawmakers have revived a proposed law that would be one of Africa’s most restrictive anti-LGBTQ legislations, three of its sponsors told Reuters. The bill, which faced legal challenges in its previous attempt, seeks to increase penalties for same-sex activities and criminalise support for LGBTQ+ rights.
Currently, same-sex relations in Ghana carry a maximum sentence of three years in prison. The new bill proposes to extend that to five years while also imposing jail time for individuals who “wilfully promote, sponsor, or support LGBTQ+ activities.”
Parliament approved the bill in February 2024, but it did not become law as then-President Nana Akufo-Addo left office before signing it. With John Dramani Mahama taking office in January 2025, the legislative process must restart, requiring presidential approval before the bill becomes law.
Lawmakers Samuel Nartey George and Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah from the ruling party, along with opposition legislator John Ntim Fordjour, confirmed to Reuters that the same bill was reintroduced in parliament on February 25 with sponsorship from 10 lawmakers in total.
If passed, the bill would intensify crackdowns on LGBTQ+ individuals and those accused of advocating for sexual and gender minority rights.
“Disheartening and hard to process,” said Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi, a Ghanaian trans woman and LGBTQ+ activist, in response to the bill’s reintroduction. However, she emphasised that pro-LGBTQ+ activism would continue despite the legislative push.
The bill’s future remains uncertain. President Mahama has suggested he would prefer a government-sponsored law over one led by individual parliamentarians.
The proposed legislation could also have serious economic consequences. In 2024, Ghana’s finance ministry warned that passing the bill could put $3.8 billion in World Bank financing at risk and threaten a $3 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Despite concerns over potential economic fallout, Fordjour dismissed fears of international backlash.
“The global political climate is favourable for conservative values as demonstrated in the bold conservative pronouncements of (U.S.) President Donald Trump,” he said
