Stakeholders intensify calls for Ghana to ratify African Disability Protocol

Stakeholders in Ghana’s disability rights sector are mounting pressure on government and Parliament to ratify the African Disability Protocol (ADP), describing the move as critical to protecting the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls.

The renewed calls were made during an Inception and Stakeholder Engagement Workshop organized by the Women with Disability Development and Advocacy Organization (WODAO) in partnership with the Network of Women with Disabilities Africa (NEWDA) at the Tomreik Hotel in Accra on Friday, May 8.

The workshop, held under the theme “Strengthening the Women with Disabilities Movement and Advancing the Ratification of the African Disability Protocol in Ghana,” brought together parliamentarians, disability advocates, journalists, civil society organizations, development partners and government representatives.

Participants used the platform to discuss strategies to strengthen disability inclusion, promote policy reforms and push for Ghana’s ratification of the African Disability Protocol.

Opening the workshop, Convener of NEWDA, Prof. Augustina Naami, highlighted the persistent discrimination and exclusion faced by women and girls with disabilities across Ghana and Africa.

According to her, women with disabilities continue to experience multiple forms of marginalization, including limited access to education, employment opportunities, leadership roles and public participation.

She noted that women with disabilities are also more vulnerable to gender-based violence, poverty and social exclusion.

“Women with disabilities are often left out of important conversations and decision-making processes, yet their experiences are critical in shaping inclusive policies,” she said.

Prof. Naami explained that although Ghana has enacted the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2006 (Act 715), and the National Gender Policy, the legal frameworks do not sufficiently address the unique challenges confronting women and girls with disabilities.

She therefore urged stakeholders to support efforts aimed at ratifying the African Disability Protocol to strengthen disability rights protection in the country.

“Our mission is to empower women with disabilities by advancing their rights, expanding opportunities and fostering collaboration for inclusion and social justice,” she stated.

Representing the Parliamentary Caucus on Persons with Disabilities, Member of Parliament for Suhum, Hon. Frank Asiedu Bekoe, reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to advancing disability-inclusive legislation and policies.

He described the workshop as timely and important, noting that the African Disability Protocol would strengthen Ghana’s legal framework on disability rights.

“Ratifying the protocol will reinforce the protection, dignity and participation of persons with disabilities, especially women and girls who continue to face multiple barriers and discrimination,” he said.

Hon. Bekoe also stressed that persons with disabilities must be recognised as active contributors to national development rather than passive beneficiaries of government interventions.

Programme Manager at Sightsavers Ghana, Mohammed Abdul-Razak, expressed concern about Ghana’s delay in ratifying the protocol despite the country’s long-standing reputation in championing human rights and disability inclusion in Africa.

He noted that the African Disability Protocol, adopted by the African Union in 2018, officially came into force in 2024 after receiving the required number of ratifications from member states.

“It is worrying that Ghana is still not among the countries that have ratified the protocol,” he stated.

He called on Parliament, disability advocates and policymakers to treat the issue as urgent and work toward securing Ghana’s ratification of the protocol.

Also speaking at the event, representative of the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD), Moses Fordjour, stressed the need for stronger collaboration within the disability movement.

He pledged GFD’s support for the initiative and called for sustained advocacy efforts to ensure the protocol’s provisions are eventually integrated into Ghana’s domestic laws.

Project Lead and Executive Director of WODAO, Veronica Denyo Kofiedu, said the initiative forms part of a broader national advocacy campaign funded by ADD International under the Disability Justice Fund for Women.

According to her, the project seeks to strengthen the women with disabilities movement, amplify the voices of women with disabilities and build strategic partnerships capable of influencing national policies.

She revealed that nine other women-led grassroots disability organizations across the country are also undertaking advocacy activities to support the campaign for the protocol’s ratification.

“We want women with disabilities to become more visible, more engaged and more influential in national advocacy and decision-making,” she said.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor, pledged the support of the media organization toward promoting disability rights advocacy and inclusive governance.

He stressed the important role of the media in amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities and ensuring disability issues remain prominent in national discussions.

Dr. Wemakor urged government institutions, Parliament, civil society organizations, journalists and development partners to work together toward building a more inclusive society where persons with disabilities can fully participate in national development.

The workshop ended with renewed calls for stronger collaboration, sustained advocacy and urgent action toward Ghana’s ratification and implementation of the African Disability Protocol.

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