The Executive Director of Ark Foundation says in order to tackle ancient cultural practices such as public naming and shaming of people blamed for witchcraft, there has to be a multidisciplinary approach.

Dr Angela Dwamena-Aboagye said this should involve the communities, the state institutions as well as advocacy groups.

Her remark follows an incident which involved the public humiliation and murder of 90-year-old, Akua Denteh in the Savannah Region after being labelled a witch. 

Dr Dwamena-Aboagye said leaders from local to national level tend to put issues that the vulnerable and marginalised face in society, on the back burner because it’s easier to do than to tackle those issues head on, as the affected have are powerless in pursuing their own matter.

She explained to host of the Super Morning Show, Kojo Yankson that, “this is the kind of thing that you can only tackle from a number of sectors and positions. 

“You need a very strong combination of research, advocacy, community action and state action working together and over a long period of time to dismantle these notions within the community. To get people to understand it, it may take 10 to 15 years, that’s okay,” the gender activist said.

She also added that the cause will require people to study the phenomena and understand why people continue to hold on to such practices, norms and values in the 21st century.

“You will need people who will be speaking consistently about it and putting pressure on the state institutions to act because the state institutions have the responsibility to protect all these citizens,” she said.

She also suggested that while the police in those areas where these activities go on cannot intervene because they have become either accustomed to the practices or lack the power, special units designed to tackle these issues can be set up in the areas to help tackle the issue as well.

Dr Dwamena-Aboagye stressed that until stakeholders come together to contribute to the dismantling of such ancient ideals and socio-cultural phenomena for a consistent period of time, it will be a lost cause.