WUNRN
WITCHCRAFT ALLEGATIONS: REFUGEE
PROTECTION
& HUMAN RIGHTS - A REVIEW OF THE
EVIDENCE
UNHCR - UN Refugee Agency
Direct Link to 44-Page Document:
Accused witches have been executed by hanging, drowning and burning at the stake throughout history. The persecution of accused witches continues today in communities around the globe. Both men and women are at risk of accusation and over the past decade children are increasingly falling victim to such allegations. Startling accounts of torture, starvation, abandonment and death have been documented. Protection concerns can arise at home and in the context of forced displacement or voluntary migration. Witchcraft accusations, the associated risk of persecution, the cycle of displacement, and what this means for those in the refugee field are the focus of this paper.
Witchcraft beliefs vary among cultures, but the term will be generalized
here to mean “harmful actions carried out by persons presumed to have access to
supernatural powers.”1 Belief in
witchcraft shapes perceptions and provides an answer to ‘why me?’ when misfortune
strikes. “Unexpected hardship or bad luck, sudden and incurable diseases, all
can be accounted to the actions of evil people, to magical forces…the diagnosis
of witchcraft opens up the possibility of combating the causes of hardship.”2
The validity of witchcraft beliefs is not at issue here. Development
workers, human rights activists, and workers from governmental and
non-governmental organizations must acknowledge that “witchcraft is real for
those who believe in it” and that “it’s no use pretending [witchcraft beliefs]
don’t exist or seeking some ground of neutrality” in a society where people
believe in witches.3 These beliefs are
held by both the educated and uneducated, the wealthy and the poor, the old and
the young in many societies.4
A belief in witchcraft is not necessarily problematic; “the actions taken in
consequence of belief,” however, may violate human rights standards.5 Witch hunts and persecutory movements can be
understood as “the plans of action that evolve from demonologies.”6 Thus, witchcraft allegations can profoundly
impact those accused by subjecting them to harassment, violence, and even
death. In many cases, “to be labelled a witch…is tantamount to being declared
liable to be killed with impunity.”7 Academic
literature has tended to neglect the plight of those accused of witchcraft.8
This paper examines the link between witchcraft accusations and
displacement. Accusations may cause displacement through forced exile or the
personal decision to flee from the threat of harm.
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TANZANIA - CAMPAIGN TO END OLDER
WOMEN ACCUSATIONS OF WITCHCRAFT
Imagine
living in a community your whole life. Then suddenly, you are accused
of witchcraft and told to leave. Or you are sent threatening letters
saying you have bewitched a neighbour's child. Or you are attacked
and slashed with a machete during the night.
The reality is, in
many parts of the world, including
We
believe that these accusations are a critical factor in the violation of
women's rights.
Reliable data on the number
of witchcraft accusations and attacks on older women in
Forced
accusations
Accusations can be due to
crop failure, poor milk production by cows, school drop outs, polygamy, loss of
wealth and alcoholism in families. Poverty,
disease, ageism, misunderstanding of the causes of HIV and gender inequality
are other underlying causes.
Sometimes, it is a just a
case of finding someone to blame. This is why it is generally the most vulnerable and marginalised who
are targeted. Some traditional healers are pressurised
into "pointing" out a witch.
Working
with communities to change attitudes
We have worked with our
partners in
Using
traditional drama, dance and song, we reach every community member.
We have worked closely to influence the behaviour and practices of groups such
as traditional healers and local militia, as well as with local government
officials, religious leaders, civil society organisations and the Tanzanian
media.
In each village, community
members have been trained as paralegal
advisers to provide support, and advice on land, inheritance and marriage
rights. Between
2004 and 2008, paralegal advisers dealt with almost 20,000 cases. Nearly
half of these were disputes over inheritance and land rights, mostly brought by
older women.
Improving
conditions for those affected
Nziku
left her village after she received threatening letters. Her community brought
her back and built her a new house.
(c) Jeff Williams/HelpAge International On a practical level, our partners have mobilised local communities
to build houses and improve sanitation facilities for women who have been
threatened, attacked or who have simply become isolated by the rest of the
community.
They have made
fuel-efficient stoves to demonstrate that red eyes, often associated with
witchcraft, are caused by a lifetime or working over smoky cooking fires.
Nziku started receiving
threatening letters after her husband died. She was scared and moved to another
village.
She said: "While I was
away the village committee discussed my problem and came to bring me back. I've
been back a year now and have had no trouble. This house was built by them and shows that they care for
me. I now feel I'm respected."
The results of community
interventions are clear. There
has been a 99% reduction in the killing of older women in the areas where
HelpAge and its partners are running projects.
There has been a
significant reduction in disputes over land rights, inheritance and matrimonial
issues, and over 30% improvements in living conditions of older women. But
outside of the project areas, killings of older women continue to rise.