The World Bank and International Monetary Fund(IMF) are under immense pressure from popular international charities, campaign and lobby groups to stop funding Ghana should the ‘punitive’ bill on LGBTQ become a law.
MGAHAWANI.com has learnt that the aforementioned groups have been on IMF and World Bank’s neck, asking them to use their financial might to persuade Ghana to reconsider a proposed law that could put members of the LGBTQ at risk of a three years jail term if found guilty of engaging in same sex relations.
According to international media, the charities and campaign groups asked the World Bank and IMF to use their influence to stop Ghana from passing the proposed legislation.
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The entities threatened to stop funding Ghana if the proposed legislation, which is set for final decision by the country’s supreme court comes into effect.
This writer understands that the aforementioned bill recommends jailing of anyone convicted of identifying as gay for up to three years.
Should the bill pass to become law, promoters of gay rights may be jailed for up to five years, all in a bid to give Ghana and its citizens ‘proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.
Speaking to members of the fourth estate, Elana Berger, the executive director of the Bank Information Center, which is a charity that campaigns for accountability, transparency and inclusion in development finance said World Bank is well poised to convince Ghana to reconsider the LGBTQ bill or risk losing $3.8 billion in funding.
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“We believe that everything the World Bank does should be moral, fair and inclusive,” she said.
“Funding a country with this law will lead to discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. We’re not anti the World Bank, but it can do a lot more to improve the inclusion of its projects.” Elana added.
Elana insisted that Ghana is keen on harming members of the LGBTQ community and trump the desire to develop the country’s economy while at it.
It should be noted that Ghana’s finance ministry had earlier warned that if the law comes into effect it could lead to the country losing $3.8 billion in World Bank financing over the next five to six years.
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This publication understands that the World Bank in 2023 halted some funding to Uganda because of the country’s newly passed anti-LGBTQ legislation, which includes the death penalty or life imprisonment for some same-sex acts.
Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAids, said evidence showed that punitive laws such as Ghana’s were “a barrier to ending Aids, and ultimately undermine everyone’s health”.
“Approaches rooted in inclusion of all people have been crucial to Ghana’s progress in the HIV response … if this bill becomes law, it will obstruct access to life-saving services, undercut social protection, and jeopardise Ghana’s development success.” Byanyima added.
Amnesty International’s Ghana country director Genevieve Partington said:
“The bill is one of the most draconian in Africa and seeks to further criminalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.”
