In July 2020, Ghanaians were shocked by the depraved lynching of a 90-year old woman accused of witchcraft in the Savana Region. More incidents of attempted lynching have been reported in the media since, with victims badly beaten and slashed with machetes. Belief in witchcraft in Ghana is rooted in religion and culture. The belief is widespread and deeply rooted in Ghanaian society and so is witchcraft accusations with devastating physical, emotional, mental, social and economic consequences. The stigma is generational. Over five hundred victims, mainly women, have been banished into so-called witch camps in the northern part of Ghana.
The Sanneh Institute is hereby petitioning Ghana’s Parliament and the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs to:
The Sanneh Institute has launched a “Let Our Mothers Go Home” campaign to pressure the authorities to reintegrate the women into society and away from the camps. If you feel strongly about the plight of not only the victims currently languishing in the camps but the plight of women in general and gender-based violence, please sign the petition and join the advocacy.