The Human Truth Foundation

Human Rights and Freedom in Ghana

https://www.humantruth.info/ghana_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2022

#antisemitism #christianity #Ghana #ghana_antisemitism

Ghana
Republic of Ghana

[Country Profile Page]
Flag
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index109th best
CapitalAccra
Land Area 227 540km21
LocationAfrica
Population29.8m2
Life Expectancy63.80yrs (2017)3
GNI$5 745 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 CodesGH, GHA, 2885
Internet Domain.gh6
CurrencyCedi (GHC)7
Telephone+2338

Ghana does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Ghana comes in the best 20 in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice9 (amongst the best in Africa). It does better than average when it comes to combatting modern slavery10, supporting press freedom11, its average Freedom in the World rating (one of the best in Africa), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms12 (one of the lowest in Africa) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights13. Civil society organizations are mostly doing well. Ghana still has work to do. Ghana does worse than average in freethought14, opposing gender inequality15 (still good for Africa) and in LGBT equality16 - LGBT+ defenders "are frequently harassed and intimidated"17. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)18. Homosexuality is illegal, and even in 2021, new and harsher legal measures were going through government, including imprisonment of ten years for promoting LGBT tolerance17, coming after a push by a coalition of conservative Christian and Islamic organisations.


1. Ghana's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #ghana #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Africa (2025)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Mauritius60.0
2S. Africa60.4
3Cape Verde64.6
4Namibia70.3
5Seychelles75.4
6Senegal80.3
7Botswana80.4
8Ghana85.0
9=Lesotho94.3
10Burkina Faso94.9
11Tunisia95.5
12Benin97.7
13Mali98.6
Africa Avg110.04
q=54.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank19
1Sweden5.9
2Norway8.0
3Denmark8.1
...
91Nauru82.3
92Moldova83.3
93Honduras84.5
94Ghana85.0
95Guatemala85.4
96Guyana85.5
97Philippines86.1
98Grenada86.1
World Avg86.35
q=198.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark20. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are N. Korea, Somalia and Eritrea20.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on supporting press freedom, combatting modern slavery, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, its average Freedom in the World rating, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe20, whereas the worst are The Middle East, Africa and Asia20.

For more, see:

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Ghana stated:

There were several violations of the right to freedom of expression and police use of excessive force. Forced evictions continued. Two bills to abolish the death penalty were introduced to parliament. A bill further criminalizing LGBTI people remained pending. Women continued to experience discrimination. Child labour was reported.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)21

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Datasets

2.1. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom
Higher is better
11
Pos.202511
1Norway92.31
2Estonia89.46
3Netherlands88.64
...
48Italy68.01
49Mauritania67.52
50Mauritius67.31
51Ghana67.13
52Panama66.75
53Liberia66.61
54Romania66.42
55Sierra Leone66.36
Africa Avg52.30
World Avg54.65
q=179.
When it comes to supporting press freedom, Ghana comes 51st in the world.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index22

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

For more, see:

Averages by decade for Ghana (for the ranks, lower is better):

Press Freedom2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
Ghana:11.4182.26
World Rank:53rd ⇡  27th
World Avg:27.4465.91

2.2. Slavery in the 2020s

#burundi #eritrea #ghana #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery in the 2020s
Lower is better
10
Pos.Total
Per 100010
1=Switzerland0.50
1=Norway0.50
3=Germany0.60
...
29Hong Kong2.80
30=Tanzania2.90
30=Senegal2.90
30=Ghana2.90
33=Benin3.00
33=Mozambique3.00
35Liberia3.10
36=Chile3.20
Africa Avg6.90
World Avg7.15
q=160.
With regard to combatting modern slavery, Ghana is 30th in the world.

Modern slavery includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones, and poverty-stricken vulnerable.23. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi24, Eritrea24, Indonesia25) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say in their 2023 report that 50 million people are living in modern slavery24.

For more, see:

Ghana has an issue with child labour in its cocoa industry, with children working too many hours in difficult conditions. This extends as far as having many children being counted as being in forced-labour conditions that equate to modern slavery26.

Averages by decade for Ghana (for the ranks, lower is better):

Slavery2010s 
Average
2020s 
Average
Ghana:4.802.90
World Rank:95th ⇡  30th
World Avg:6.547.15

2.3. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom

#freedom #politics

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
Lower is better
12
Pos.2014
Rank12
1Hong Kong1
2Switzerland2
3New Zealand3
...
56=Macedonia55
56=Suriname55
58El Salvador58
59Ghana59
60Jamaica60
61=Haiti61
61=Fiji61
63Dominican Rep.63
Africa Avg114.2
World Avg79.7
q=159.
Amongst the best in Africa with regard to supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, Ghana is 59th in the world.

The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...

... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]

The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]

Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.

"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)27

For more, see:

2.4. Freedom in the World

#freedom #human_rights #hungary #politics #USA

Freedom in the World
Lower is better
Pos.2024
Score
1=Norway1.0
1=Canada1.0
1=Cape Verde1.0
...
72=Trinidad & Tobago2.0
72=Monaco2.0
72=Poland2.0
72=Ghana2.0
76=Timor-Leste (E. Timor)2.5
76=Senegal2.5
76=Israel2.5
76=Solomon Islands2.5
Africa Avg4.8
World Avg3.7
q=205.
One of the best in Africa in terms of its average Freedom in the World rating, Ghana is positioned 51st in the world.

Freedom House's long-standing annual report has been running since the 1970s, collecting data on political rights (PR) and civil liberties (CL). Their reports rate countries as "Free", "Partially Free" or "Not Free", however the results here are based on their numerical values. Many countries score the best combination of scores (1 and 1), which is why the table of results show many places equally placed in 1st place. In the past two decades, some well-established democracies like the USA and Hungary have been falling. Whilst most of the world in general is improving rights and freedoms over time, the 2020s has seen some regression.

For more, see:

Averages by decade for Ghana (for the ranks, lower is better):

Freedom in the World1970s 
Average
1980s 
Average
1990s 
Average
2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
Ghana:5.65.74.21.91.6
World Rank:113th ⇣  117th ⇣  119th ⇡  66th ⇡  54th
World Avg:4.34.23.63.43.4

2.5. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better
13
Pos.2009
Treaties13
1Argentina24
2=Chile23
2=Costa Rica23
...
86=Belarus16
86=Seychelles16
86=Tajikistan16
86=Ghana16
86=Belize16
86=Monaco16
86=Latvia16
86=Yemen16
Africa Avg14.8
World Avg15.1
q=194.
Ghana ranks 84th in the world in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

For more, see:

2.6. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better
28
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty28
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
99Kuwait10.36
100Laos10.53
101Cambodia10.56
102Ghana10.64
103Croatia10.65
104Zambia10.81
105Iran10.81
106Albania10.94
Africa Avg9.88
World Avg10.02
q=195.
Ghana comes 102nd in the world in terms of speed of uptake of HR treaties.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

3. Gender Equality Datasets

The 1950s saw a late rush of 43 countries, including Ghana and many developing nations, move to cease preventing women from voting. Ghana is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
15
Pos.202215
1Denmark0.01
2Norway0.01
3Switzerland0.02
...
127Burundi0.50
128Senegal0.51
129Tanzania0.51
130Ghana0.52
131Zimbabwe0.52
132Venezuela0.52
133Pakistan0.52
134Zambia0.52
Africa Avg0.53
World Avg0.34
q=166.
Ghana ranks 130th in the world regarding opposing gender inequality (still low for Africa).

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

Averages by decade for Ghana (for the ranks, lower is better):

Gender Inequality1990s 
Average
2000s 
Average
2010s 
Average
Ghana:0.630.580.54
World Rank:90th ⇣  115th ⇣  132nd
World Avg:0.440.410.37

3.2. Gender Biases

#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women

Gender Biases
Lower is better
18
Pos.2022
%18
1Sweden31.829
2New Zealand34.430
3Australia37.030
...
71Ethiopia98.930
72Iraq98.930
73Haiti98.929
74Ghana99.029
75India99.129
76Rwanda99.129
77Myanmar99.430
78Bangladesh99.430
Africa Avg98.10
World Avg83.93
q=88.
In terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), Ghana ranks 15th-worst in the world.

The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.

The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.

3.3. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.Total
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
98=Syria1953
99=Colombia1954
99=Belize1954
99=Ghana1954
102=Nicaragua1955
102=Ethiopia1955
102=Peru1955
102=Eritrea1955
Africa Avg1961
World Avg1930
q=189.
Regarding the year from which women could participate in democracy, Ghana comes 99th in the world.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

4. Prejudice Datasets

4.1. Anti-Semite Opinions

#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam

Anti-Semite Opinions
Lower is better
9
Pos.2014
%9
1Laos0
2Philippines3
3Sweden4
...
13=New Zealand14
13=Australia14
15=Norway15
15=Ghana15
15=Finland15
18=Brazil16
18=Singapore16
18=Nigeria16
Africa Avg45.9
World Avg36.8
q=101.
When it comes to its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, Ghana ranks 16th-best in the world (one of the lowest in Africa).

Anti-Semitism is the word given to irrational racism against Jews. It's not the same as anti-Judaism (arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews31,32,33,34. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were repeated violent outbursts against Jews of the most horrible kind. Entire Crusades were aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.

The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East35, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews36,37. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"38. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males39.

For more, see:

4.2. LGBT Equality

#equality #ghana #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

Homosexuality is illegal under Section 104 of the Criminal Code legislation of 1960 and societal prejudice and harassment is far too common. In 2021 new and harsher legal measures were going through government as the "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill", which includes imprisonment of ten years for promoting LGBT equality. Religious leaders are particularly aggressive towards LGBT folk.17

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
16
Pos.2017
Score16
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
168=Zimbabwe-24
169=St Kitts & Nevis-25
169=Botswana-25
169=Ghana-25
172Pakistan-26
173Egypt-27
174=Iraq-29
174=Togo-29
Africa Avg-10.4
World Avg12.6
q=196.
Ghana ranks 169th in the world with regard to LGBT equality.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence40. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws41. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries40. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

Ghana's horrendous proposed 2021 law against homosexuality is described by the UN as being state-sponsored discrimination and a clear breach of human rights law; it was produced and supported by a coalition of Christian and Muslim organisations.17 after continued campaigns by religious bodies against LGBT tolerance across Africa. Some examples from Ghana:

In 2020, opposition MP Dr. Hanna Luisa Bissiw, stated that "homosexuality is a disease" and suggested LGBTI+ people should be euthanized; and an Imam described homosexuality as an "evil that must not be countenanced in any way because it is despised by God". In 2018, Head Pastor of Osu Church of Christ, Kofi Tawiah stated "homosexuality is considered as a capital offence which is abominable and is accompanied by capital punishment."

Ghana´s first LGBTI+ community support center and safe house opened in January 2021, but was forced to close 3 months later after being illegally raided by the police and facing pressure from religious lobby groups, the Catholic Church of Ghana, and members of the government.

"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)17

Things took a dark turn in 2019, after the World Congress of Families, a U.S.-based Christian group, organized a conference in Ghana. The group's goal was to push harsh criminal punishments for LGBTQ behavior, as it succeeded in doing in Uganda and Nigeria several years ago. "They confidently said they were going to do the same thing in Ghana" said Alex Donkor, the executive director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, an advocacy group, who was at the conference.

"Ghana´s tragic turn toward anti-LGBT extremism" by Karen Attiah (2022)42

4.3. Freedom of Thought

#christianity #europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #Ghana #human_rights #islam #netherlands #religion #religion_in_Ghana #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
14
Pos.202114
1=Belgium1.0
1=Taiwan1.0
1=Netherlands1.0
...
123=Djibouti3.3
123=Ethiopia3.3
123=Germany3.3
123=Ghana3.3
123=Italy3.3
123=Macedonia3.3
123=Liberia3.3
123=Malawi3.3
Africa Avg3.1
World Avg3.0
q=196.
Ghana is 109th in the world when it comes to freethought.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights43. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish44. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era45 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted46. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief47. The best countries at doing so are Belgium, The Netherlands and Taiwan14,48 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia14,49.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed50. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief44, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion51 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"52 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

Ghana's Constitution protects "freedom of thought, conscience and belief", protects religious freedom, and prohibits discrimination based on religion.17. However, the State itself causes some indirect discrimination by directly funding and supporting specific Christian and Muslim institutions, and religious leaders are seen to have undue influence on the Government17.

In 2019, a constitutional challenge against the construction of the National Cathedral [on 14 acres of state land next to Parliament] and the setting up of the Hajj board [which pays for Muslims to go on the Hajj pilgrimage] was brought by a local politician, James Bomfeh, who argued that both measures are a violation of the [...] duty of the State to respect equality and uphold religious neutrality.

Bomfeh's case was dismissed by the Supreme Court, who found that the Constitution did not specifically prohibit the Government from "supporting, assisting or cooperating with religious groups."

"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)17.