This article delves into various significant events and issues related to Ghana, ranging from the implications of the Paradise Papers leak to the evolution of social media protests and the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ community.
Paradise Papers and Ghanaian Connections
The Paradise Papers, a massive leak of over 13.4 million confidential electronic documents, exposed offshore investments and financial dealings across the globe. The documents were obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), involving a network of more than 380 journalists.
Several individuals and entities with connections to Ghana were named in the Paradise Papers:
- Ibrahim Mahama: Brother of former President John Mahama, registered a company in the Isle of Man to hold the registration for his private jet. He is also under investigation for allegedly issuing bad checks.
The Paradise Papers revealed a complex web of offshore dealings involving individuals and companies worldwide, shedding light on tax avoidance strategies and the use of tax havens.
The Paradise Papers: Secrets of Offshore Schemes | How the Rich Dodge Taxes
The "Tweaa" Phenomenon: Social Media and Protest in Ghana
In the mid-aughts, Ghana experienced a surge in mobile-broadband internet access, leading to a wave of techno-idealism. This period saw the rise of the "New Ghana" ethos, where young people used digitally mediated spaces to challenge traditional hierarchies. A pivotal moment in this movement was the "Tweaa" incident.
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The "Tweaa" incident involved a video of a young audience member heckling an older politician with the Twi term of derision, "Tweaa!" The politician's outraged response, "Am I your coequal?!," went viral, sparking a series of memes, songs, and parodies.
This seemingly simple interaction evolved into a symbol of youthful challenge to authority. "Tweaa" underwent rapid indexical shift, transforming from a casual interjection of distaste to a verb meaning "to protest inept authority."
The "Tweaa" phenomenon illustrates how social media can be leveraged to subvert and interrogate social hierarchies, leading to enduring shifts in the vocabulary of protest.
The "New Ghana" ethos is characterized by a belief in the transformational power of digital technologies and a desire to change the status quo of rigid age-graded status hierarchies.
The event shown in the original tweaa video was later identified by news outlets as a year-end durbar, or formal festival event, at a hospital just outside of the regional capital Kumasi in December 2013.
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At the outset of the video (before the above transcript begins), Barima appears to be discursively performing authority in Twi, the primary language of the region, to the satisfaction of those in attendance. When he resumes speaking (line 01) after a brief applause pause, however, he is interrupted by a call of “Tweaa!” from a young male voice somewhere to Barima’s left, off-screen.
Given that the interjection expresses disapproval, the communicative norms of Ghanaian social life dictate that it be used between peers or by a speaker of relative seniority to a novice or younger person acting improperly, as it would be deeply inappropriate for a younger person to chastise an elder. Indeed it could even be said that its use presupposes that specific culturally organized indexical relationship (Ochs Reference Ochs1990), with the word itself calling into being and reinforcing a dynamic of gentle comeuppance between elder and subordinate.
For a younger, unknown, and un-titled person to lob a declaration of disapproval at the actions and speech of an older person who has been unilaterally granted the floor is a brazen act indeed-especially in a highly ritualized public event where the appropriate language is either English or formal Twi.
Recognizing this breach of etiquette as an insult and direct challenge, Barima, after blustering in both Twi and English, calls back to the anonymous young man, “Am I your coequal?”-in other words, “How dare you interrupt me in such a way when you are so clearly my subordinate?” (fig. 1).
Challenges Faced by the LGBTQ Community in Ghana
LGBTQ people in Ghana face significant challenges, including legal restrictions, social stigma, and discrimination. Sexual acts between males have been illegal as "unnatural carnal knowledge" since the colonial era.
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The majority of Ghana's population holds anti-LGBTQ sentiments, leading to physical and violent homophobic attacks. These attacks are often encouraged by the media, religious leaders, and political figures.
Despite constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech, expression, and assembly, these rights are often denied to LGBTQ people. Pro-LGBTQ activism faces significant obstacles from the government.
In February 2024, the Parliament of Ghana passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, criminalizing identifying as LGBTQ. The bill imposes penalties of up to three years in prison for identifying as LGBTQ and up to five years for funding or forming an LGBT-related group.
Historically, pre-colonial Ghanaian society had more complex views on gender and sexuality. The Nzema people had a tradition of adult men marrying each other in "friendship marriages," and the Nankani observed female marriages for lineage perpetuation.
Homosexuality was criminalized in 1892 during British colonial rule. Section 104(1)(b) of the Ghanaian Criminal Code of 1960 criminalizes "unnatural carnal knowledge," which has been interpreted to include anal intercourse between men.
While prosecutions under these sections have become less frequent, the law serves as a basis for discrimination and abuse against LGBTQ individuals.
Recent years have seen increased anti-LGBTQ measures, including the introduction of the "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill" in 2021. This bill seeks to criminalize public displays of LGBTQ identity and advocacy.
Ghana does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions. The 1992 Constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
LGBT-identifying Ghanaians face widespread discrimination, police harassment, and extortion attempts. Violent mob attacks against LGBTQ people occur, and anti-gay vigilante groups actively target LGBTQ individuals.
A 2017 poll by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) found that while 60 percent of Ghanaians agreed that gay, lesbian, and bisexual people should enjoy the same rights as straight people, 51 percent believed they should be charged as criminals.
Many officials from government and church organizations are publicly against the LGBTQ community, contributing to a climate of fear and discrimination.
The mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana are significant. Social stigma, discrimination, and legal marginalization contribute to high rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.
The Paradise Papers: Secrets of Offshore Schemes | How the Rich Dodge Taxes
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