NGOs petition government to assent anti-Witchraft Bill

A coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) has called on President Nana Addo Dunkwa Akufo Addo to sign the Anti-Witchcraft Accusations Bill (AWAB) into law.

The NGOs include Sanneh Institute, ActionAid Ghana, Amnesty International (AI) Ghana, Oxfam in Ghana, Songtaba Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Ghana, Crossroads International, Ghana Somubie, International Alliance Against Witch Hunts and LAWA Ghana.

In a press conference organised in Accra, Rev. Professor John Azumah, Convener of the Coalition said, “Signing the AWAB would enhance the protection of human rights which will also align Ghana with international human rights obligations.”

He said Ghana was the only country in the world with witch camps, “signing the bill will demonstrate the country’s commitment to eradicating all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination.”

Rev. Azumah explained that the Anti-Witchcraft bill passed was in consultation with various stakeholders such as the Attorney General’s, Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).

“We are joining our voices to CHRAJ, and other reputable national and international bodies to call on the president to sign the bill into law.”

He said, “As a Coalition, they urge the President of the Republic to urgently assent the AWCAB that was unanimously passed by Parliament in July 2023 to protect vulnerable Ghanaian citizens, widows, mothers, grandmothers, sisters etc.”

“We cannot accept that the President’s failure to sign the bill is the last word on this critical issue.”

“Those victims have no voice and have no one within their families and communities to stand up for them, the state remains their only hope.”

“We believe that the accusations and witch-hunting are the root causes of the untold suffering of the victims.”

He said, “The practice of witch-hunting and witchcraft accusations was harmful and mere accusations break up families, destroy lives and livelihoods, and serve as a generational sentence of stigma and suspicion on families.”

Genevieve Partington, Country Director of AI Ghana said in many parts of the country, especially in the rural communities, elderly women were unfairly targeted and accused of witchcraft.

She said those accusations often stemmed from deep-seated superstitions and cultural beliefs that had been years.

She said, “Once labelled as witches, these women have been physically abused and even death at the hands of vigilante justice.”

She said, “Witchcraft accusations continued to tear society apart, perpetuating gender-based violence and denying women their fundamental rights to dignity, security, and equality.”

 

Source: GNA