Emerita Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh wins Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law

Renowned Ghanaian human rights activist, Emerita Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, has won the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law award for 2023.

Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, the former Director of the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ghana, was one of the 12 recipients of the award for 2023.

The 2023 winners of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law were announced by the Foreign Ministers of Germany and France, Annalena Baerbock and Catherine Colonna, on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly.

A press release by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany indicated that winners “stand up for those whose voices would often not be heard without them, such as women, refugees, LGBTIQ+ people and prisoners. They are committed to the cause of justice, political participation and unbiased reporting in the media, often risking their own freedom, frequently even their lives, under the most difficult conditions”.

Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh is a staunch advocate of the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana.

She has made news headlines in the country following her strong opposition to the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill (anti-LGBTQ+ bill) currently being considered by the Parliament of Ghana.

Below is a list of the 2023 winners of the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law:

Fadel Abdulghany, Syria

Marianela Balbi Ochoa, Venezuela

Chow Hang-Tung, SAR Hong Kong, China

Danièle Darlan, the Central African Republic

Choman Hardi, Iraq

Gisèle Khoury, Lebanon

Hanna Machińska, Poland

Takyiwaa Manuh, Ghana

Anny Modi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Oluwaseun Osowobi, Nigeria

Valery Wichman, Cook Islands

About the awards:

Since 2016, France and Germany have used International Human Rights Day as an opportunity to jointly pay tribute to individuals around the world who have shown outstanding commitment to promoting human rights.

The Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law honours civil society’s commitment to human dignity and the inalienable human rights of all people. After all, protecting, preserving and strengthening human rights is a prerequisite for freedom, justice and peace around the world.

Congratulations, Emerita Prof. Takyiwaa Manuh, former Director of the Institute of African Studies.

The University of Ghana, Legon is proud of your achievement.#UGIS75#IntegriProcedamus pic.twitter.com/nV445IUg4y

— University of Ghana (@UnivofGh) December 13, 2023

You can also watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:



Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.