RENOWNED HUMAN Rights lawyer and President of Youth for Human Rights Africa (YoHRA), Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, has revealed that Africa is one of the continents where human rights are abused in the world.
According to him, Africa performs abysmally, particularly in both economic and development rights.
He said there is lack of respect for human dignity, as well as discontentment against persons living with disability.
Speaking to the DAILY HERITAGE yesterday during an event to admit 40 human rights ambassadors to YoHRA, Lawyer Sosu said Africa has lost the respect for human rights, but performs creditably when it comes to political and civil rights.
The 40 human rights ambassadors from various countries across the African continent are to consult governments and policy makers to reactivate the Organisation of African Union’s Chapter on Haman and People’s Rights established in 1979 to promote and protect human and people’s rights.
“Indeed, there are still hazardous African practices such as trokosi and other outmoded cultures that still discriminate against women,” he stated.
He charged the ambassadors to go out to member states and educate individuals to be conscious of their human rights and the need to safeguard it at all times.
Ghana
According to him, Ghana performs poorly when it comes to human rights abuse, noting that there are child labour, child prostitution, harassment at workplaces and other human rights abuse cases in the country.
He said Ghana needs institutional awakening because most government and private institutions abuse workers instead of defending their rights.
Lawyer Sosu stated that the ambassadors, who were drawn from both secondary and tertiary institutions, are tasked to establish clubs to educate people about their human rights and the need to safeguard it.
One of the facilitators and educational consultant, Dr James Owusu, said the ambassadors stand the chance of gaining scholarships, internship programmes, networking, training and other opportunities from other international human rights organisations.
The executive secretary of YoHAR, Regina Ignatia Aflah, said YoHRA was established in 2016 in New York by some African representatives who attended a human rights summit organised by Youth for Human Rights International to prompt people about the need to educate people about basic human rights.
She added that it is time people became aware of the fundamental human rights and the need to protect it at all times.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to the DAILY HERITAGE expressed excitement about the need to be change agents in society.
