NEWS IN GHANA

There are moments in the life of every institution when circumstances test not only its plans, but also its commitment to the values it represents. For Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), the journey towards the HRRG Global RightsCon 2026 Awards has been one such moment. The awards were originally conceived as a special recognition initiative to be presented during RightsCon 2026 in Lusaka, Zambia —the world's leading conference on human rights in the digital age. RightsCon has over the years provided a global platform where activists, technology experts, policymakers, journalists, researchers, companies and civil society leaders converge to discuss how technology impacts human rights and democratic freedoms. When the RightsCon 2026 Summit was subsequently cancelled, we faced an important decision: should the vision behind the awards be abandoned, or should we find another meaningful platform to celebrate the exceptional individuals and institutions whose work continues to...

  In recent years, conversations around human rights, inclusion and social justice have gained increasing attention across Ghana and Africa. However, one group that continues to face persistent exclusion, discrimination and marginalization is persons with disabilities, especially women and girls with disabilities. Despite various national and international commitments toward disability inclusion, many women with disabilities in Ghana still struggle daily with barriers that limit their access to education, healthcare, employment, leadership opportunities and meaningful participation in society. These concerns took center stage 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) in Accra. The workshop, themed “Strengthening the Women with Disabilities Movement and Advancing the Ratification of the African Disability Prot...

The Country Director of Days for Girls Ghana (DFG), a non-profit organization, Sandra Boakye has called on government to urgently respond to the plight of women and girls and ensure the complete removal of 20% luxury tax on menstrual hygiene product into the country to allow free-flow, easy access and use of women and girls during their menstrual cycle periods.  According to her, this would go a long way to help address the issues of menstrual hygiene health that our women and girls are confronted with on a daily basis to advance their good health and well-being in the country at all times. She made this known while addressing a capacity building session organized by her outfit for some selected journalists representing a cross section of the Ghanaian media in Accra on Monday September 20, 2021.      The beneficiaries were drawn from media houses such as GTV, Metro TV, Atinka TV, ATV, Sena Radio online, Ghanaian Times, Onua TV/Radio, 3FM/TV3 and the Human Rights...

  Some stories stay with you long after the work is done. This is one of them. In recent weeks, I have been deeply involved in efforts that led to the safe return of a young Ghanaian woman, Patience Asiam, who had been stranded in Iraq under distressing and exploitative conditions. What began as a routine case quickly evolved into a powerful reminder of why advocacy must remain at the heart of our work. Patience, 27, had travelled to Iraq in February 2025 in search of better economic opportunities as a domestic worker under a two-year contract. Like many young Ghanaians, she carried with her hope, determination, and the dream of supporting herself and her family. But things did not go as planned. After developing a serious eye condition, she was unable to continue working. What followed was a period of uncertainty and vulnerability. Stranded in a foreign country, without the means to return home, her situation became even more troubling when her employer allegedly demanded a financ...

  Across Africa, the conversation around press freedom is becoming increasingly urgent. From growing restrictions on journalists to shrinking civic space, concerns about the future of free expression continue to mount. Yet, beneath this broader crisis lies a deeper, often overlooked reality—the voices of persons with disabilities are being pushed even further to the margins. For Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor, a distinguished Ghanaian human rights advocate, journalist, and development communicator, this is not just a policy issue. It is a matter of justice, inclusion, and representation. In a recent interview on Africa In Perspective, a programme on Lagos-based Radio Now 95.7 FM, Dr. Wemakor painted a compelling picture of what is at stake.  Speaking ahead of a major global engagement, he warned that the decline in press freedom across parts of Africa is not only undermining democracy but also deepening inequality. “The media is a vital tool for accountability and truth,” he said. “...

  In many parts of Africa today, conversations about democracy are increasingly shaped by a familiar concern: shrinking civic space. At the same time, another quieter but equally urgent struggle continues—ensuring that persons with disabilities are not left out of those conversations altogether. It is against this backdrop that Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) is heading to Lusaka, Zambia, for RightsCon 2026, bringing with it a dialogue that seeks to connect both struggles in a single global conversation. On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m., HRRG will host a high-level session titled “Silenced Twice: Press Freedom and Disability Voices Under Threat in Africa” at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (Kenneth Kaunda Wing). The session is part of the wider RightsCon summit convened by Access Now , a global organisation based in New York known for its work in defending digital rights and civic freedoms. For HRRG, the Lusaka dialogue is not just anothe...