LUSAKA, Zambia, April — Ghanaian human rights advocate Dr. Joseph Kobla Wemakor will convene a high-level dialogue on press freedom and disability inclusion at the RightsCon 2026 Summit, as concerns grow over shrinking civic space across Africa.
Dr. Wemakor, Founder and Executive Director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), will lead the session titled “Silenced Twice: Press Freedom and Disability Voices Under Threat in Africa” on May 6 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre (Kenneth Kaunda Wing) from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
The event forms part of the global RightsCon summit organised by Access Now, which is expected to draw thousands of participants from more than 150 countries.
The session will examine how restrictions on media freedom and narrowing civic space are affecting marginalised groups, particularly persons with disabilities, who advocates say face “double marginalisation” — systemic exclusion from public life and limited representation in media narratives.
“Press freedom and disability inclusion are deeply interconnected. When the media space shrinks, the voices of already marginalised groups are often the first to disappear,” Dr. Wemakor said ahead of the event.
Participants will discuss ways to strengthen inclusive media systems, safeguard freedom of expression and expand access to digital and civic spaces, while highlighting the role of journalists, policymakers and civil society groups in protecting fundamental rights.
The panel will include Dalitso Mvula, an environmental justice advocate based in Lusaka; Michael Karanicolas, a UK-based expert on freedom of expression and digital governance; and Alina Radu, an investigative journalist from Moldova.
Other speakers include Elizabeth Zulu, a public health expert, and Joseph Mwanza, a disability rights advocate and Programmes Officer at Disability Rights Watch.
Across Africa, journalists face increasing threats, including harassment, arrests and digital surveillance, particularly when reporting on governance and human rights issues. In Ghana, the 2019 killing of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale has continued to raise concerns about media safety, while civil society groups report ongoing attacks on journalists.
Advocates warn that such pressures, combined with barriers such as inaccessible digital platforms and weak inclusion policies, risk further excluding persons with disabilities from public discourse.
Dr. Wemakor has spent more than a decade working on human rights, child protection, gender equality and climate justice, and has represented Ghana at international forums including the United Nations High-Level Political Forum.
His work has earned him several recognitions, including the prestigious 5th UN Global Entreps Award for Best International Practice on Sustainability, the Africa Peace Advocate Award (2023), and finalist recognition for the African Human Rights Defenders Shield Award (2023). He also led HRRG to place fourth in the Africans Rising Activism Award – Movement of the Year category (2020) and was listed among Ghana’s 100 Most Impactful Changemakers in 2024.
His organisation, HRRG, supports more than 500 civil society groups through the Ghana Civil Society Organisations Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Lusaka dialogue is expected to contribute to global efforts to strengthen press freedom, promote inclusion and reinforce democratic participation in the digital age.
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