Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has urged women who are coerced by their partners into engaging in oral and anal sex to seek assistance from the police.
The legislator emphasised that under the Anti-LGBTQ bill, engaging in anal sex is illegal irrespective of the gender involved and will be a criminal offence.
She was speaking during Parliament’s debate over the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill.
The parliamentarian was worried over reports of wives facing threats of divorce from their husbands for refusing to participate in these sexual acts.
“For the avoidance of doubt and the information of all Ghanaians, oral sex, anal regardless of whether it is between woman and man, man and man or woman and woman is illegal under our law and so if there is anybody who is practising oral sex or anal sex please note that what you are doing is against the existing law of this country.”
Addressing her colleagues on Wednesday, she underscored the significance of the proposed bill in addressing such issues.
“And so I will urge any woman or young girl being subjected to any such practice under the guise of heterosexual sex to know that what they are being asked to do is against the law and must seek help from the Police. Anal sex is unnatural carnal knowledge, use of sex toys is unnatural carnal knowledge.”
This comes after Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, recommended its passage of the controversial bill.
Other legislators including Bernard Ahiafor, Nelson Rockson Dafeamekpor, Sam George, Murtala Mohammed and John Ntim Foruor among others argued for the bill.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, called on MPs opposed to the bill to stand up and be counted.
But his call went without a response showing unanimous consent by Members of Parliament strongly advocating for the passage of the bill.
With the bill through on its second reading, the consideration stage will follow before a third reading to signal passage.