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WITCHCRAFT ALLEGATIONS: REFUGEE PROTECTION

& HUMAN RIGHTS - A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE

UNHCR - UN Refugee Agency

Direct Link to 44-Page Document:

http://www.unhcr.org/4981ca712.html

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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http://www.helpage.org/what-we-do/rights/womens-rights-in-tanzania/womens-rights-in-tanzania/

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 Tanzania, older women are still persecuted and accused of witchcraft. Belief in witchcraft is still strong in many places and throughout society, but often these accusations have an underlying malicious element.

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 Tanzania is hard to come by. However, it is commonly accepted that these crimes are underreported and it is estimated as many as a thousand, mainly older, Tanzanian women are targeted and killed annually. 

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 Sukumaland, Tanzania since 1999. We work directly with communities to prevent witchcraft accusations and attacks against older women. With our local NGO partners, we have worked on projects in 90 villages. These include training village committee members in women's rights, including those of widows, and raising awareness of the harmful consequences of witchcraft allegations, misconceptions about HIV and other illnesses.

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.