As the global community increasingly recognises the importance of protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, the Voices of Women and Children with Disabilities in Ghana (VOWACGhana) is intensifying its call on the Ghanaian government to ratify the African Disability Protocol (ADP).
VOWACGhana, therefore, is holding a series of capacity-building forums to empower women with disabilities to advocate for ratification of the ADP.
The first forum took place in Accra on June 26, 2025, bringing together the women wing of various disability associations in the country, women-led groups, child rights activists, and caregivers.
A second forum, targeting the same audience of women from disability associations, women-led groups, child rights advocates, and caregivers is scheduled for Thursday, July 3, in the Wa West District. The series of events are organised with funding support from ADD International through the Disability Justice Fund.
While the African Disability Protocol came into force on June 3, 2024, after the required 15 countries ratified it, making it legally binding for those nations, Ghana has yet to ratify the protocol.
The African Disability Protocol, adopted in 2018, is a human rights treaty of the African Union that aims to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities on the African continent.
It builds upon the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), but also addresses specific issues and challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Africa.
Despite the African Union launching the protocol in Ghana, the organisation says that persons with disabilities in the country cannot fully enjoy the benefits and protections it offers until Ghana officially ratifies it.
According to VOWACGhana, the ADP provides crucial protections and addresses contextual gaps, particularly for women and children with disabilities, who often face multiple forms of discrimination and barriers to inclusion.
The organisation emphasises that the ADP includes specific provisions that can improve access to education, healthcare, employment, and justice for these vulnerable groups.
In addition to the benefits of ratifying the African Disability Protocol, the one-day forum also addressed the gaps in Ghana’s Domestic Violence Act 732, which is currently under review.
The organisation made known its intent to advocate for an all-inclusive Domestic Violence Act that does not overlook people with disabilities.
With the goal of forming a stronger women-led disability movement, VOWACGhana brought together women with disabilities, including representatives from ten women with disability groups (both registered and unregistered), advocates and caregivers.
The forum focused on enhancing their capacity in areas such as advocacy, resource mobilisation, disability justice, self-confidence, intersectionality of gender and disability, and knowledge of the African Disability Protocol.
The Executive Director of VOWACGhana, Madam Juliana Afia Mahmood stated that; “The organisation is committed to working in collaboration with all stakeholders, including government, civil society organisations, and the disability community, to ensure that the rights of women and girls with disabilities are fully protected and promoted.”
Following the forum, participants developed an action plan to guide their advocacy efforts. This plan includes engaging with the media (both traditional and social media outlets) and directly engaging with key stakeholders to push for ratification of the ADP and improvements to the Domestic Violence Act.
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SOURCE: DisabilityNewsGH.com
