The Legal Aid Commission with support from GIZ is proud to announce the 2025 Legal Aid Week Celebration, scheduled from Monday, October 27, to Sunday, November 2, 2025. This year, the national campaign will be held under the vibrant theme: “The Role of the Legal Aid Commission in Enhancing Access to Justice for Women and Girls in Ghana: Harnessing the Maputo Protocol.”

This year’s celebration is particularly significant as it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Maputo Protocol’s entry into force. The week will focus on using the Protocol as a key tool for advocacy, awareness, and service delivery to advance the legal empowerment of women and girls across Ghana.

Why This Focus, Why Now?

Despite various legal reforms, women and girls in Ghana continue to face considerable barriers to justice, especially in cases concerning gender-based violence, property rights, child marriage, and reproductive health. Socio-cultural norms, legal illiteracy, and economic hardship often deepen these challenges.

The Maputo Protocol, which Ghana ratified on June 19, 2007, offers a robust legal framework for protecting women’s rights. The Legal Aid Commission plays an important role in transforming these legal commitments into tangible protections for vulnerable women and girls. By providing free legal advice, representation, and education, the Commission works to bridge the gap between rights on paper and justice in practice.

The Commission’s own case statistics from 2024 reveal a clear need for this focus, showing that while women are substantial seekers of legal aid in family matters, they are underrepresented in land and property disputes, reflecting a potential gender imbalance in property rights. This data makes it evident that the Commission must increase its focus and resources on providing legal aid to women and girls.

Our Objectives for the Celebration

During the Legal Aid Week Celebration, our goals are to:

• Raise national awareness of the Maputo Protocol and its importance for the legal rights of women and girls in Ghana.
• Enhance direct access to justice for vulnerable women and girls through targeted legal clinics and community outreach programs.
• Strengthen legal literacy on gender-based rights among women, community leaders, and service providers.
• Promote vital partnerships between legal institutions, civil society organizations, and development partners to advance gender justice.

Key Activities to Expect

A series of impactful events are planned for the week, including:

• Official Launch and Panel Discussion: A high-level event featuring speeches and panel discussions on Gender and the Law.
• Legal Aid Clinics: Our legal teams will be deployed to rural communities to provide direct, free legal services to women and girls.
• Street Legal Aid Outreach (Float): Mobile teams will visit various communities to offer on-the-spot advice and distribute educational materials.
• Legal Fair: An event with information booths, free legal consultations, and opportunities to purchase legal materials and other products/services.
• School Outreach: An event to engage second-cycle institution students on their Legal Rights and Responsibilities.

We anticipate that these activities will allow us to reach at least 5,000 women and girls with legal education and services. We call on our partners and the public to join us in this crucial effort.

Stay tuned for a detailed schedule of events.