The Prevalence of Violence Against Women Accused of Witchcraft in Certain Parts of Northen Ghana

This paper examines the implications of violence directed towards women accused of witchcraft in Ghana, a phenomenon that has garnered considerable attention within policy, public, and academic spheres. The practice elicits divergent perspectives within the nation. While a segment of the Ghanaian population advocates for its criminalization, others maintain that such a course of action is unwarranted. Against the backdrop of these contentious viewpoints concerning witchcraft accusations and the subsequent mistreatment of women so accused, Ghana's Parliament enacted a bill in 2023 aimed at prohibiting and criminalizing witchcraft allegations, as well as the activities of witchfinders and witch doctors. Nonetheless, the accusations of witchcraft against women and their subsequent confinement in camps persist unabated. Employing secondary data, this research analyzes the ramifications of the violence inflicted upon women accused of witchcraft in Ghana. To this end, the paper synthesizes a substantial body of existing and contemporary literature that investigates the experiences of women subjected to such accusations. Furthermore, the study illuminates the detrimental effects of this inhumane treatment on the dignity and overall well-being of the victims. It also underscores how this practice undermines international human rights norms and impedes Ghana's progress in human rights development. The paper emphasizes that violence against women accused of witchcraft renders them vulnerable across all strata, but particularly at the structural level. The study concludes by recommending an integrated approach to effectively combat violence against individuals accused of witchcraft.