The Amnesty International (AI), Ghana has urged the government to gradually close down witch camps and reintegrate the so-called accused persons back into the society.
The various witch camps in the country, it said were not a refuge rather symbol of societal neglect with limited access to water, safe housing, food and security, adding, “Reintegration must be accompanied by support systems, including housing, healthcare, and economic empowerment programmes.”
“These so-called ‘witch camps’ are not places of refuge; they are symbols of fear, exclusion, and deep-seated injustice,” it said.
The Country Director of AI Ghana, Ms Genevieve Partington made the call in Accra yesterday at the launch of Research Report on Witchcraft Accusations in Ghana.
Dubbed; “Branded for life: How witchcraft accusations lead to human rights violations of hundreds of women in Northern Ghana.”
Also, she called on the Speaker of Parliament to prioritise the passing of the Anti-Witchcraft Bill officially known as the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill.
The bill was reintroduced as a private members bill in February, led by Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, aims to safeguard victims and criminalise the act of declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling individuals as witches.
Furthermore, Ms Partington urged the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to intensify efforts in educating communities especially the youth of the dangers of accusing vulnerable women of witchcraft and casting them out of communities.
“We call on CSOs to increase public education and awareness campaigns to challenge myths, educate communities, and promote the rights of elderly women to help reduce and eventually end witchcraft accusations, this requires dismantling the harmful beliefs that fuel them,” she stressed.
Moreover, she advocated stronger enforcement of existing human rights protections laws, adding that the government must move beyond rhetoric and take meaningful steps to end this injustice.
Presenting the report, the Amnesty International West and Central Africa Regional Office, Michele Eken said AI found that the state does not provide enough protective measures for women accused of witchcraft or at risk of being accused thereby violating their right to life and security.
Additionally, she said a research conducted by AI from November 26 to December 9, 2023, and from April 21 to May 8, 2024 and interviewed 93 people who were accused of witchcraft, including 82 women across four camps in the Northern and North East Regions, found that they were afraid to report witchcraft-related abuses to the police.
She noted that out of the 93 interviewed, only one person attempted to report that incident however, no systematic investigation was conducted.
“Under international law, religious beliefs are protected, and as such the belief in witchcraft shall not be condemned, however, harmful practices linked to a belief are not protected and should be criminalised to serve as a deterrent and prevent future incidents, unfortunately, there is currently no law criminalising witchcraft accusations and related abuses in Ghana,” she noted.
She noted that, some women were not registered into the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme (LEAP) despite qualifying for it, and also complained that the payments were often delayed and insufficient for their needs.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
