By Lawrence Williams
Hundreds of elderly women aged 50-90 accused of practicing witchcraft in Ghana’s north and north-east regions have been forced to flee their homes to stay in camps with deplorable living conditions, said Amnesty International in a new report.
These accusations, stemming from patriarchal norms and ageist beliefs, often lead to severe abuse and violence, including beatings, stoning, burning, poisoning, and even death.
Women are vulnerable to witchcraft accusations if they have physical traits—such as yellowish or reddish eyes, shrivelled stomach, wrinkled facial skin, bad posture or sagging breasts—that are wrongly seen as deformities but are actually natural signs of aging.
Left without government protection, the victims, who generally face “intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination,” are either banished or forced to flee, leaving them vulnerable and traumatized.
The report, titled “Branded for life: How witchcraft accusations lead to human rights violations of hundreds of women in North Ghana”, reveals the dire living conditions of these women in four informal camps (Kukuo, Gambaga, Kpatinga, and Gnani), with inadequate access to healthcare, food, safe housing, clean water, and economic opportunities.
These camps, which are now more than a century old, are overseen by religious leaders. And although they provide shelter for victims, the living conditions there are appalling. Amnesty International said more than 500 people were residing in these camps as of April 2024.
Witchcraft accusation viewed as gender-based violence
Men are the primary accusers and perpetrators of gender-based violence against women, the human rights watchdog said. It adds that the accusations against these women are often triggered by a family or community member, witch doctors, priests or self-proclaimed prophets, and they ordinarily stem from dreams, tragic events or misfortunes, jealousy, and resentment.
“A woman is more likely to be accused if she is widowed, divorced, unmarried, childless, or is perceived as successful and independent or otherwise not fitting within patriarchal norms,” the report stated.
Excerpts of victims' testimonies
*Dreams
“My neighbour said he dreamt about three people, but he could only see my face, and that I was trying to kill him. He doesn't want me [in the village], that's why he accused me.” —Fawza
“I was accused by my husband’s brother’s son. When he is sleeping, he says he sees my face and I am chasing him in the dream.” —Ana
*Tragic events or misfortunes
“My brother’s daughter got sick, and my brother accused me of that… My own brother accused me of something I have never experienced.” —Sabrina
“[My husband’s brother] sent his son to a funeral and when he was coming back from the funeral, he had an accident on his motorcycle. [He] accused me of causing the accident.” —Aissatou
*Jealousy and resentment
“My younger brother went to a soothsayer, he came back and said [the soothsayer] said that I killed [our] brother…I was having problems with [him] because I was comfortable in my house with my two children. We were comfortable, we were eating well. He was jealous because he was struggling.” —Corinne
“With my efforts I managed to build five rooms building with bricks. This is when the jealousy started. One of my nieces… was accused of being a witch. I decided to host her in one of these rooms… My younger brother’s son asked me: “why are you giving a room to a witch? You must be doing this because you are also a witch. In addition, I have also seen you in my dreams. You are a witch.” —Lariba Koffi
“The chief was interested in my daughters; they were still going to school, and I refused for the chief to marry any of my daughters. One day, a child got sick in the community and the chief accused me…and that generated everything.” —Fatma
Men are also accused
While most people accused of witchcraft are women, some men are also accused. Unlike the women who could leave their children and husbands behind, the men can take their families with them. However, not all men would do so because of the poor living conditions in the camps.
Bidipume, a 60-year-old farmer who had spent a year in Gnani when Amnesty International visited the camp, explained that his family remained behind because he can’t get a farm there to support them.
But those who brought their families worry about providing for them. Badak, another farmer who had spent two decades in the camp, lamented that he could no longer care for his children or pay for his son’s nursing school. Nuwube, a 50-year-old farmer, shared similar concerns about depending on the chief for food.
Human rights infringements
Amnesty International believes that witchcraft accusations and its related abuses constitute human rights infringements. They accused the Ghanaian authorities of ‘failing to protect the rights of these victims,’ particularly their right to life and security.
“Witchcraft accusations and related abuses infringe on a person’s right to life, to security, and to non-discrimination. This deeply rooted and prevalent practice has led to untold suffering and violence. While the belief in witchcraft is protected under international law, harmful practices that stem from the belief are not and those impacted need protection and reparation,” said Michèle Eken, senior researcher at Amnesty International.
The report indicated there is a considerable lack of interest on the part of Ghanaian authorities to investigate and prosecute abuses linked to witchcraft accusations. And even though Ghana’s parliament passed an amendment to criminalize witchcraft accusations in July 2023, the president did not sign it into law due to constitutional concerns.
The human rights watchdog acknowledged local interventions by non-governmental organizations but stated that criminalizing witchcraft accusations alone is “not enough.” They called for a holistic approach from Ghanaian authorities to address the socioeconomic and security needs of those affected by witchcraft accusations.
“The government should establish a properly resourced long-term national awareness campaign challenging cultural and social practices that discriminate against women and older people, including witchcraft accusations,” the rights group said.