HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - STATEMENT BY CDD-GHANA

On the occasion of this year's Human Rights Day which falls today, 10th of December 2014, the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) shares in the idea that every day is a Human Rights Day. Ghana has come a long way in its democratic development, and made considerable progress in upholding the rights of its citizens. CDD-Ghana believes, however, that much more remains to be done for our country to achieve the ultimate goal of universal human rights. Among other things, social exclusion remains a key deficiency.

Social exclusion and marginalization remains an area of major challenge for the country as a whole and, much more so for the socially marginalized persons whose daily experiences is akin to living a 'life of darkness 365'. Socially challenged persons, for example Persons with disability; Persons Living with HIV/AIDS; and sexual minorities; and Women, children and the aged apart from being underrepresented in political circles are discriminated against in the provision of social services and full social integration.

For instance, even though the Ghana Disability Law has set the stage to address these unacceptable conditions, the recent inability of physically challenged persons to observe parliamentary proceedings on a day set aside for them shows the extent to which Ghana's democracy disempowers persons who are socially challenged, and excludes them from public affairs. Women are still subjected to discriminatory political and cultural practices that in the end severely shrink their democratic space and disempower them in the process. Also even though women constitute a substantial proportion of the Ghanaian population, they are woefully underrepresented in policy making circles.

Furthermore, People Living with HIV/AIDS still face stigmatization and discrimination in spite of national policies being in place to make such persons live dignified lives and accepted as legitimate members of their communities. Until People Living with HIV/AIDS feel safe and do not suffer from isolation but allowed to fully partake in public life, our efforts to expand the frontiers of democracy will be half hearted. Social minorities are yet to be accepted in the Ghanaian community as persons with equal human rights.

In celebrating International Human Rights Day, CDD-Ghana will like to emphasize that, every person living in Ghana is an important contributor to the democratic development of the nation. It is therefore imperative that every Ghanaian and all civil society activists strive for the achievement of an all inclusive society.

Everyone is entitled to the full range of human rights. Accordingly, CDD-Ghana entreat Government to take the lead in taking steps to end discrimination at work places, schools and the society as a whole and promote the well-being, equal rights and opportunity for the socially challenged through the enactment of laws, and proper implementation of policies that promotes and protect socially marginalized persons. These should go hand in hand with massive education and anti-stigmatization campaigns and proper social integration programs.

Human rights is a fundamental for the overall development agenda of Ghana, and CDD-Ghana calls on all and sundry to join campaign for the respect of the rights of every Ghanaian as enshrined in our constitution. Anything less than this is a move away from democracy.

Dated: 10th December, 2014
Mina Okuru, Communication Officer