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Country Overview

Ghana

At a glance

Same-sex Relations for Men Legal Throughout the Country?

No

Same-sex Relations for Women Legal Throughout the Country?

No

Legal Gender Recognition Possible?

No

LGBTI Orgs Able to Register?

No

Actions Related to SOGI at the UN:

2016: Abstained from Voting IE SOGI

2019:

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Ghana’s Criminal Code bans same-sex relations, and technically also anal intercourse between partners of different sex. Although Section 104 (1)(b) of the Criminal Offences Act is rarely applied, its existence legitimizes widespread antipathy towards LGBTIQ people and contributes to harassment and extortion of LGBTIQ individuals at the hands of authorities. Politicians and influential religious figures regularly make public statements disparaging LGBTIQ people, and media coverage of LGBTIQ issues is predominantly negative. In 2021, Parliament introduced an expansive anti-LGBTIQ law which is still under consideration but has led to widespread human rights violations against LGBTIQ persons, as documented by Outright. Prominent anti-LGBTIQ organizations, religious leaders and the Bill's provisions espouse the need for mandatory “conversion practices” and intersex genital mutilation, exacerbating the already hostile conditions that LGBTIQ Ghanaians live in. LGBTIQ identities are often seen as an immoral and deviant choice, which leads to the regular harassment, discrimination, violence, and family rejection of LGBTIQ Ghanaians.

Global Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa

Outright supports LGBTIQ organizations in Sub-Saharan Africa and works with mainstream human rights organizations to respect human rights and influence positive changes in laws, policies, attitudes, and beliefs that cause discrimination against LGBTIQ people on the continent.

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United Nations

Our work at the United Nations centers around advocating for the advancement of the rights of LGBTIQ people.

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Asia

Our work in Asia promotes acceptance of sexual and gender diversity at all levels of society.

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Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa, we partner with local groups in various countries as part of our international solidarity work. We also work with our local partners on different topics through capacity building, advocacy, research and holistic security.



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Europe and Central Asia

Outright International partners with activists to fight for an end to human rights violations based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in Europe and Central Asia, where most of our work involves emergency responses to harassment, discrimination, violence, and most recently, Russia’s brutal and expanded invasion of Ukraine.

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Americas

Our work in the Americas continues to build on the fundamental and positive transformation of human rights protections in recent years. We partner with groups in the Caribbean that focus on ending gender-based violence and eradicating discrimination against trans people.

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Pacific

Our work in the Pacific aims to increase visibility of activists, respond to human rights emergencies, and actively bridge local, regional and international activism to achieve equality and justice.

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Human Rights Research

Since 1990, we have partnered with activists from all over the world to produce hundreds of groundbreaking reports.

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