Dozens of people in northern Ghana, predominantly elderly women, still live in fear and abject poverty after they were blamed of witchcraft and driven out of their villages, a new report released by Amnesty International.
The document, “Branded for Life: How Witchcraft Accusations Result in Human Rights Abuses Against Hundreds of Women in North Ghana,” shows how over 500 individuals—mainly women between 50 and 90—are managing in four makeshift “witch camps” with very little access to food, health care, clean shelter, water, or financial resources.
“Such charges, frequently initiated by a death, a sickness, or even a nightmare, are based on misogyny and unhealthy stereotypes,” stated Michèle Eken, Amnesty senior researcher. “They contravene basic rights to life, security, and non-discrimination.”
Victims explained to Amnesty how they were forced out of their villages by neighbors or family members. Some were assaulted, while others ran away following allegations by community leaders. Fawza*, who is currently in the Gnani camp, explained: “My neighbor told me he had a nightmare that I was attempting to kill him. That’s why he reported me.” Fatma* explained she was accused after she refused to allow the village chief to marry her daughters.
They are directed by local faith leaders and provide minimal shelter, but things continue to be difficult. Resident Alimata* explained: “Water rains through the roof when it rains.” She is now completely dependent on others for subsistence after working as a shea nut picker.
Amnesty accused the government of not offering basic assistance or reintegration options to victims. “They have no way to sustain themselves, and yet there are no management programs to assist them in recovery,” Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty’s interim regional director for West and Central Africa, noted.
Amnesty is calling for the administration to act now—namely, to outlaw accusations of witchcraft and ritual episodes in law, deliver access to justice and reparations for sufferers, close the witch centers with proper care for residents, and initiate a sustained campaign to end discriminatory attitudes.
Ghana’s Parliament in July 2023 approved a bill making witchcraft accusations and abuse of this nature criminal, reforming the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960. But President Nana Akufo-Addo subsequently refused to sign it, raising a matter of procedure. Amnesty urged President John Mahama’s incoming government to introduce and pass similar legislation as an urgent priority.
“Action needs to be taken now,” added Genevieve Partington, country director at Amnesty Ghana. “To stop these abuses is not only a matter of enacting more laws—it’s about addressing stigma, offering protection, and enabling victims to rebuild their lives.”
