19/06/2025
19th June 2025
When Justice Misspeaks: A Call for Dignity and Understanding for Inters*x Persons in Ghana
To the Editor,
We, the Inters*x Persons Society of Ghana (IPSOG), write with deep concern following a recent video
circulating online from the vetting of Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, a nominee to the Supreme Court of
Ghana.
In this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9gGbPjvEs8), remarks were made
regarding inters*x persons that were inaccurate, dismissive, and deeply harmful.
As inters*x Ghanaians, we are alarmed that such commentsāmade in a national vetting process by a
judicial nomineeāreflect a troubling misunderstanding of inters*x realities. These are not simply offhand remarks; they reflect broader systemic ignorance and reinforce the stigma, discrimination, and violence that inters*x people in Ghana continue to face daily.
Inters*x persons are born with natural variations in s*x characteristics that do not fit typical binary
definitions of male or female. We are not myths, errors, or subjects for ridicule. We are real people
with real livesāGhanaiansāwho deserve dignity, respect, and equal protection under the law.
Although Chapter Five of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana enshrines the fundamental rights and
freedoms of all persons, in practice these rights have consistently eluded inters*x people. The framers
could not have foreseen our inclusion; today, however, specific legislation and policy reforms must
explicitly recognize and safeguard inters*x lives. In 2023, the African Commission on Human and
Peoplesā Rights passed Resolution 552, calling on States to promote and protect the rights of inters*x
persons on the continent. We call on Parliament to draft and enact inters*xāinclusive laws that protect
our rights to health, education, and bodily integrity.
Far too many inters*x children in Ghana endure irreversible and harmfulānormalizingā surgeries
without informed consent. Others are abandoned by their families, stigmatized by their communities,
or denied essential documentsābirth certificates, school enrollmentādue to confusion about their
s*x. In extreme cases, inters*x infants suffer ritualistic violence. These are gross human rights
violations that demand immediate attention and redress.
Inters*x athletesāparticularly girls and young womenāface invasive scrutiny, forced hormone tests,
and arbitrary exclusion from competition. Such practices strip them of dignity, opportunity, and fair
play. We urge the Ministry of Youth and Sports to adopt inters*xāfriendly policies that respect bodily
autonomy and ensure inclusive, equitable standards for all Ghanaian athletes.
Data invisibility compounds our marginalization. Inters*x persons are routinely omitted from national
surveys, census counts, and public health statistics. Without accurate data on our numbers, needs,
and experiences, policymakers cannot design appropriate services or measure progress. We
therefore insist that the Ghana Statistical Service integrate inters*x markers into all future
dataācollection instrumentsāincluding the upcoming national censusāand train enumerators to
record s*x variations respectfully and confidentially.
We call on the Government of Ghanaāespecially the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social
Protection, CHRAJ, the Judicial Council, Ghana Health Service, and the Ministry of Youth and
Sportsāto take the following steps without delay:
1. Issue policy guidelines prohibiting medically unnecessary surgeries on inters*x minors.
2. Fund public education and awareness campaigns to dispel harmful myths and foster empathy.
3. Provide psychosocial support services for inters*x persons and their families.
4. Ensure inters*xāinclusive participation in education, health care, sports, and public life.
5. Integrate inters*x identifiers into national dataācollection efforts and the census.
To the media: report responsibly, accurately, and with humanity.
To our communities: unlearn harmful
myths and extend compassion.
To our allies: speak up, act boldly, and help build systems that protect inters*x people from birth through adulthood.
We are inters*x. We are Ghanaians. We are human. And we will no longer be silent.
Signed,
Fafali D. Akortsu
The President
Inters*x Persons Society of Ghana (IPSOG)
[info.ipsoghinters*x@gmail.com]
