The Country Director of Amnesty International Ghana has urged Parliament to fast-track the passage of the reintroduced Anti-Witchcraft Bill to outlaw witchcraft accusations and attacks. 

Genevieve Partington said their engagements with relevant stakeholders on the matter, including the Attorney General’s Office, offered hope that once the bill was passed, it would be assented into law. 

Ms Partington made this appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra. 

“I am actually quite happy that this bill, once it is passed, will be signed into law. So far, we have not gotten any pushback from the government. They say if it passes in Parliament, they will sign it,” she added. 

The Anti-Witchcraft Bill aims to criminalise witchcraft accusations to protect vulnerable individuals and strengthen social cohesion.  

Also, it seeks to make it illegal to accuse someone of witchcraft, establish protective measures for victims, and provide a legal pathway for justice. 

Ms Partington called for the Government’s intervention in providing a conducive environment and stay for the victims at the camps, prior to their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. 

She said they faced harsh and inhumane conditions in the camps, adding that many of the women lived without access to basic services such as healthcare, clean water, and sanitation. 

Ms Partington said governments over the years had failed to ensure access to adequate food, safe housing and clean water in the camps. 

She added that the state’s failure to investigate and prosecute “witch attackers” contributed to the recurrence of accusations.