As John Dramani Mahama assumes office as President of Ghana, Amnesty International has called on his government to make the promotion and protection of human rights a top priority.
In a statement issued on January 7, 2025, Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa, outlined key areas requiring urgent attention, including gender equality, freedom of peaceful assembly, and the right to a healthy environment.
The organisation praised the progress made with the appointment of Ghana’s first female Vice President, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, but highlighted that women’s representation in Parliament remains below 15 percent. Amnesty urged the government to accelerate implementation of the Affirmative Action Act to achieve its targets of 30 percent female participation by 2026 and 50 percent by 2030.
Additionally, Amnesty called for swift action to criminalize witchcraft accusations, a practice that has led to violence and displacement, particularly in northern Ghana. While a bill to address this issue was passed in 2023, it remains unsigned, leaving vulnerable women unprotected.
The organisation also urged reforms to Ghana’s Public Order Act to allow spontaneous protests and prevent police repression of peaceful demonstrations. It cited several incidents in 2024 where activists faced arrests and bans, undermining the right to peaceful assembly.
On environmental issues, Amnesty emphasized the need to combat illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey, which continues to harm water resources and disrupt communities.
Amnesty International expressed optimism that the Mahama administration would seize this opportunity to strengthen human rights protections, urging swift and decisive action on these critical issues.
