Civil society organisations and the media have been identified as critical drivers in mobilising citizens and deepening public participation in Ghana’s ongoing constitutional reform process.
This call was made by **Vera Abena Addo**, Programmes Officer at the **Ghana Center for Democratic Development** (CDD-Ghana), during a capacity-building workshop held in **Kumasi** for civil society groups and media practitioners.
The workshop, organised by the **Citizens Platform on Constitutional Reforms**, received support from the **CDD-Ghana**, the **STAR Ghana Foundation**, and the **Democracy Hub**.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Ms Addo stressed that civic groups and journalists must intensify public education and advocacy to ensure that citizens fully understand the constitutional review process and actively participate in it.
She explained that **Ghana** is undertaking a constitutional review for the third time, making it essential for stakeholders to broaden public engagement and strengthen awareness about the reforms.
According to her, although the constitutional review committee has already submitted its report to the President, the process remains largely political. She therefore emphasised the need for civil society actors to promote transparency, accountability and citizen involvement.
Ms Addo noted that several recommendations in the committee’s report reflect long-standing demands by civil society organisations, particularly in areas such as local governance reforms, human rights protection and strengthening the separation of powers.
She also pointed out that some of the proposed amendments involve entrenched provisions of the Constitution, which would require approval through a national referendum. For that reason, she said widespread public education and citizen mobilisation would be critical to the success of the process.
To address this, the initiative is adopting a “training of trainers” approach, where participants in the workshop will pass on the knowledge gained to their communities through outreach programmes and public education campaigns.
Ms Addo said civil society organisations would use traditional and digital media platforms, as well as engagements in schools and tertiary institutions, to increase awareness about constitutional reforms and encourage citizens to take an active interest in the process.
She added that the programme would not end in Kumasi, as similar engagements are planned in **Takoradi**, **Tamale**, and **Accra** to expand participation nationwide.
According to her, organisations including CDD-Ghana, STAR Ghana Foundation and Democracy Hub are working together to bring more civil society actors on board so that the constitutional reform process does not remain solely in the hands of politicians.
The workshop sought to deepen participants’ understanding of the constitutional review process, equip them with advocacy and public engagement skills, and foster collaboration among civil society organisations to support meaningful constitutional reforms in Ghana.
