The Amnesty Internationwide (AI), Ghana has urged the government to gradually shut down witch camps and reintegrate the so-called accused individuals again into the society.
The varied witch camps within the nation, it mentioned weren’t a refuge fairly image of societal neglect with restricted entry to water, secure housing, meals and safety, including, “Reintegration should be accompanied by help methods, together with housing, healthcare, and financial empowerment programmes.”
“These so-called ‘witch camps’ usually are not locations of refuge; they’re symbols of worry, exclusion, and deep-seated injustice,” it mentioned.
The Nation Director of AI Ghana, Ms Genevieve Partington made the decision in Accra yesterday on the launch of Analysis Report on Witchcraft Accusations in Ghana.
Dubbed; “Branded for all times: How witchcraft accusations result in human rights violations of lots of of ladies in Northern Ghana.”
Additionally, she known as on the Communicateer of Parliament to prioritise the passing of the Anti-Witchcraft Invoice formally often called the Felony Offences (Modification) Invoice.
The invoice was reintroduced as a non-public members invoice in February, led by Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, the Member of Parliament for Madina, goals to safeguard victims and criminalise the act of declaring, accusing, naming, or labelling people as witches.
Moreover, Ms Partington urged the Ministry of Gender, Youngsters and Social Safety to accentuate efforts in educating communities particularly the youth of the hazards of accusing susceptible ladies of witchcraft and casting them out of communities.
“We name on CSOs to extend public schooling and consciousness campaigns to problem myths, educate communities, and professionalmote the rights of aged ladies to assist cut back and ultimately finish witchcraft accusations, this requires dismantling the dangerous beliefs that gasoline them,” she confused.
Furthermore, she advocated stronger enforcement of present human rights protections legal guidelines, including that the federal government should transfer past rhetoric and take significant steps to finish this injustice.
Presenting the report, the Amnesty Worldwide West and Central Africa Regional Workplace, Michele Eken mentioned AI discovered that the state doesn’t present sufficient protective measures for ladies accused of witchcraft or susceptible to being accused thereby violating their proper to life and safety.
Moreover, she mentioned a analysis carried out by AI from November 26 to December 9, 2023, and from April 21 to Might 8, 2024 and interseen 93 individuals who had been accused of witchcraft, together with 82 ladies throughout 4 camps within the Northern and North East Areas, discovered that they had been afraid to report witchcraft-related abuses to the police.
She famous that out of the 93 interviewed, just one particular person tryed to report that incident nevertheless, no systematic investigation was carried out.
“Underneath worldwide regulation, religious beliefs are protected, and as such the idea in witchcraft shall not be condemned, nevertheless, dangerous practices linked to a perception usually are not protected and must be criminalised to function a deterrent and forestall future incidents, unfortunately, there may be at the moment no regulation criminalising witchcraft accusations and associated abuses in Ghana,” she famous.
She famous that, some women weren’t registered into the Livelihood Empowerment In opposition to Poverty Programme (LEAP) regardless of qualifying for it, and likewise complained that the funds had been typically delayed and inadequate for his or her wants.
BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
