
A recent report by the Africa Centre for Democracy and Socio-Economic Development (CDS Africa), seen by the Daily Statesman, sheds light on public sentiments towards the LGBTQ+ community and related practices within Ghana.
The survey involved 1,250 respondents randomly selected from all 16 regions of the country. In addition to the primary survey, 35 respondents participated in two separate focus group discussions, bringing the total number of participants to 1,285.
This exceeded the initial target of 1,250 respondents, resulting in a 95 percent confidence interval for the findings. To ensure the reliability and validity of the survey instrument, it was pretested on 100 respondents. This pretesting phase helped address potential issues and refine the questions for the main survey.
Support
The report, which was released by CDS Africa yesterday, and based on a two-month research study, reveals that approximately 78.2% of respondents support the passage of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
Analysing the report, it was observed that younger demographics demonstrated more progressive attitudes, expressing support for LGBTQ+ rights compared to older individuals.
Per the report, participants aged 18 to 24 years constituted the majority at 36.0%, while those 60 years or above were the lowest age cohort at 1.8%.
The survey included 719 male respondents, representing 57.5%, and 531 female respondents, representing 42.5%. Regarding religious affiliation, 50.2% (626 respondents) were Christians, constituting the majority, while 33.6% were Muslims. The report also indicates that over half (55.0%), comprising 687 participants, were non-partisan.
Regional representation
According to the reports, the Greater Accra Region had the highest representation of participants at 29.4%, followed by the Eastern region (15.4%), Central region (12.1%), and Ashanti region (11.5%). The Western North region had the least representation at 0.6%.
The report indicates that 956 respondents, representing 76.5%, are aware of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. About half of the respondents (49.5%), comprising 619 people, were indifferent towards the punishments outlined in the Anti-Gay Bill.
The findings reveal that more than two-thirds (69.1%), comprising 864 respondents, do not agree with the idea of legalizing LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. Additionally, 72.6% of respondents want the president to assent to the Bill despite a pending court case.
Meanwhile, 55.8% of respondents believe that there will be no economic repercussions for Ghana if the Bill is signed into law.
CDS Africa
CDS African, registered in Ghana and the US, is an independent think tank born out of the need to deepen and market democracy as a prerequisite for advancing the socio-economic development of Africa.