Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary aspirant for the Adenta Constituency, Akosua Asaa Manu, joined thousands of Ghanaian women who took to the streets of Accra on Tuesday to protest against injustice, abuse and alleged violations of the rights and dignity of women.
A mammoth crowd of women drawn from across the political divide and different walks of life marched through the principal streets of Accra, demanding justice, equality, dignity, freedom of expression and the protection of their constitutional rights.
The demonstration, held under the banner “Women’s Voices Matter,” brought together women affiliated with political parties as well as market women, traders, hairdressers, dressmakers, kayayei, professionals and women from private businesses and public institutions.
The protesters assembled at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Park from 6:00 a.m. before marching through the principal streets of the capital towards the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, where they presented a petition to the sector Minister, Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey.
The size and diversity of the crowd gave the protest a distinctly broad-based character, with women carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding justice and an end to what they described as the abuse of women’s rights.
Akosua Asaa Manu was among the prominent figures associated with the mobilisation, joining other women leaders and activists in drawing national attention to concerns over the treatment of women and the protection of their fundamental rights.
The demonstration was convened by PNP Chairperson Janet Asana Nabla; NDP Chairperson and Leader Betty Akuffo Amoabeng; LGP Running Mate Elizabeth Sam; Advisor on Gender and Social Protection to the NPP Flagbearer, Akosua Asaa Manu; and NPP Gender and Social Protection Committee Spokesperson Grace Akosua Amoabeng.
The organisers stressed that the demonstration was not about partisan politics but about what they described as fundamental issues affecting Ghanaian women and citizens generally.
ARRESTS AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
The protesters’ concerns come amid a series of arrests involving women and other citizens in cases linked to political commentary, social media activity and alleged offensive or false statements.
One of the cases attracting public attention is that of Salomey Awity Baffoe, a 40-year-old mother of three, who was arrested in connection with investigations into the activities of the social media account known as “Ghana Jollof” and subsequently arraigned before the courts.
The organisers, however, emphasised that the demonstration was not centred on any single case.
They pointed to what they described as a broader concern about the treatment of citizens, particularly women, when exercising their constitutional freedoms.
A June report by Al Jazeera, citing the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), reported that Ghana had recorded 14 arrests linked to false news and offensive speech during the first 16 months of the administration.
Several of the cases have involved women.
Two women, Priscilla Duah Birago and Charity Dede Tetteh, were arrested and charged over allegedly offensive statements concerning President John Mahama and were subsequently granted bail of GH¢100,000 each.
TikTok content creator Mahama Aminat was also arrested over alleged threats directed at President Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama, while another woman identified as Alhassan was arrested in July and charged with offensive conduct and false news.
The organisers said such cases raised important questions about the balance between the enforcement of the law and the protection of constitutional freedoms.
They maintained that while the state has a responsibility to enforce the law, such enforcement must respect due process, human dignity and the constitutional rights of citizens.
‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’
Throughout the march, protesters raised placards and chanted “Enough is Enough,” signalling their determination to speak out against issues they believe threaten the dignity, freedom and security of Ghanaian women.
The cross-party nature of the demonstration was particularly striking, as women associated with different political traditions stood together to demand justice and equal treatment.
Market women, hairdressers, dressmakers, kayayei and other women joined politicians, professionals and civil society actors, transforming the protest into a broad-based mobilisation.
At the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the organisers formally presented their petition to Minister Dr. Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, outlining their concerns and calling for action.
The organisers said the petition was intended to put further pressure on the relevant authorities to address concerns surrounding the treatment of women and the protection of their constitutional rights.
They described the demonstration as peaceful and said their objective was to ensure that the voices of Ghanaian women were heard at the highest levels of government.
