A women’s rights advocacy organisation, Songtaba, is calling on the public, especially the youth to desist from labeling older people, especially women as witches.
Songtaba, which has the overall goal of ensuring the protection of the safety and rights of women, girls and men accused of witchcraft is based in the Northern part of Ghana.
Songtaba has been working with district assemblies, traditional authorities, religious leaders and community, and district stakeholders to secure the safety and dignity of women who suffer dehumanizing cultural conditions including witchcraft accusation based on allegation and suspicion.
The first phase of the project worked with four district assemblies where the alleged witches’ camps are located (Yendi, Nanumba South, Gushegu, and East Mamprusi) to adopt Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI bye-laws) as one of the strategies to reduce the incidence of violence against women in the districts.
During an engagement on a yet to be aired episode of Let’s Learn The Law, a show which seeks to promote getting acquainted with the basics of the law to steer clear of trouble, Executive Director of Songtaba, Madam Lamnatu Adam advised against witchcraft accusations, as those found culpable would be made to face the full rigors of the law.
“The Anti-witchcraft bill has recently been passed by parliament and that gives us motive enough to criminalise issues of naming, accusations of older women, or otherwise any other person as witches. Anybody who indulges in such accusation will be culpable. We therefore urge, especially our youth, to take notice that older women or older men need our love and we should not treat them in an undignified manner.”
Watch Madam Lamnatu’s video below
Let’s Learn The Law is a show which started recently with the aim to encourage the citizenry to get acquainted with, at least the basics of the Ghanaian law, such as our fundamental human rights, the rights of the child, the rights of persons with disabilities among other laws, in order to protect oneself from being at opposite ends with the law.
The show is hosted by Suraya Alidu Malititi, a Journalist and Women’s Development and Disability Rights Activist, and it airs every Thursday on AATV on YouTube.
This yet to be aired episode which engaged Songtaba, talks about the recently passed Anti-Witchcraft Bill and it is set to air on Thursday, September 21, 2023.
Suraya Alidu Malititi / adwoaadubianews.com
