President John Dramani Mahama has stressed that any global framework on reparatory justice would remain incomplete if it fails to fully address the unique suffering endured by enslaved women and girls during the transatlantic slave trade.
Speaking at the Next Steps High-Level Consultative Conference in Accra on Thursday, June 18, 2026, the President said historical accounts have often overlooked the specific forms of brutality experienced by women under slavery.
“As we reflect on this history, it is important to remember that the experience of enslavement was not borne equally by all who endured it,” he said.
He noted that while millions of African men, women, and children suffered under the system of enslavement, women and girls were subjected to additional layers of exploitation that have often been marginalised in historical records.
“For many enslaved women, exploitation did not end just with providing labour. Their bodies themselves became instruments of economic extraction,” President Mahama stated.
He further explained that the suffering of enslaved women was frequently erased from official accounts, calling for a more inclusive approach to truth-telling and memorialisation.
“Their suffering was often concealed from the official record, leaving them victims not only of the institution, but also of historical erasure,” he said.
President Mahama added that modern efforts toward reparatory justice must therefore be gender-responsive, ensuring that women’s experiences are placed at the centre of global discussions on historical justice.
“Any framework for truth-telling, memorialisation, reparatory justice, or historical recording that fails to recognise the specific experience of women will remain incomplete,” he said.
The conference continues in Accra, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and civil society actors to develop a roadmap for reparatory justice and address the enduring legacies of the transatlantic slave trade.
Source: Mubarak Yakubu
