Witches: Accusing & Killing Women Labeled As Witches & The Internalized Hatred For Women

Saturday, 29 July 2023

By: TB Obwoge

Let me first start with this, the growing number of cases of femicide is alarming, these are only of the few stories that make it to the daylight of news. In the US alone 3 women a day are killed by intimate partners, that is just those killed by their lovers. (2023 figures)

Around the world, 5 women and/or girls are killed every hour by an intimate partner or family member. (2022 figures)

The figures for women killed in a day, would have to be posted by country and that is too in-depth for the examples I'm trying to throw out regarding femicide.

Traditional religions (now labeled voodoo) were widely practiced in Africa before colonization. Traditional African religion was and is based on oral traditions, which means that there is a set a basic rules, rituals and way of life was passed from elders to the younger generations.

Once I wrote about the "Gap Tooth Liar," this belief was said to be from the Bible however elders couldn't point to it's exact origins. But many were told, that people with a gap in their teeth are consumment liars.

When searching the Bible, I was able to find several references to teeth in the Bible. It included damaged teeth, how God destroyed the teeth of the wicket, this is an example of religious beliefs which was passed down from Black Americans elders to their youth. This is an example of a beliefs passed down from elders, which isn't necessarily a religion but a cultural norm.

Many of the elders I asked about this 'gap toothed liar' knew the phrase. It was my mother who pointed me towards the Bible. Also James Baldwin a Black, gay author wrote about the term.

Two years ago in Ghana, a 90-year old woman was beaten to death for being accused of being a witch. In the pariliment of Ghana they created a bill to punish people for calling someone a witch and for harming someone for practicing traditional religions. Like everything in Ghana, it more than likely will not be enforced by law.

In Kenya Mzee (old man) recounts how villagers came to kill his wife, there was nothing he could do as he watched them murder her.

Kiharu Man Recalls Wife's Last Words as Mob Lynched Her for Alleged Witchcraft: "Goodbye My Love"

Mwangi Kibaara had been married to 75-year-old Mary Njoki for 50 years and sired five children with her On February 20 this year, a gang stormed their house, accused Njoki of witchcraft and dragged her out before setting her on fire As Mwangi watched furious fumes consume the woman he had loved for decades, he heard her mutter words that will forever remain in his mind "Goodbye my love. They will kill me for nothing but have a strong heart. I will be watching over you from Heaven," she said before dying

For a couple that got married in 1973, growing into old age together had made them love each other tenfold to the point of joking they needed to get a retirement baby. They were unaware that everything they had built for 50 years would be brutally cut short at 10.30pm that day,

Source: Tuko News Kenya

Now a widow this man doesn't even care to live any more, he wishes that he was killed along with his wife. He said that these people were his neighbors, they were known to them.

Witch hunts: A global problem in the 21st century

Witch hunts are far from being a thing of the past — even in the 21st century. In many countries, this is still a sad reality for many women today. That is why August 10 has been declared a World Day against Witch Hunts.

Akua Denteh was beaten to death in Ghana's East Gonja District last month — after being accused of being a witch. The murder of the 90-year-old has once more highlighted the deep-seated prejudices against women accused of practicing witchcraft in Ghana, many of whom are elderly.

An arrest was made in early August, but the issue continues to draw attention after authorities were accused of dragging their heels in the case. Human rights and gender activists now demand to see change in culture in a country where supernatural beliefs play a big role.

But the case of Akua Denteh is far from an isolated instance in Ghana, or indeed the world at large. In many countries of the world, women are still accused of practicing witchcraft each year. They are persecuted and even killed in organized witch hunts — especially in Africa but also in Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Source: DW.Com

Just 2 years ago a Black American said that she was labeled a witch in Ho, Ghana, just because she had tattoos. Ho Ghana is in the Volta Region of Ghana, a place where people often accuse the Ewe tribe of practicing witchcraft.

A minister in Ghana, just months ago went on a rant, calling a town in the Volta Region wicket. A claim that widely angered the Ewe people, rightfully so, as many Voltarians also claim the current president of Ghana Akufo-Addo dislikes them as well as slights them in many ways.

You would think it wasn't 2023, almost 2024 and people are killing others, without proof, just killing and burning women to death. Just because a group of people accuse them. Education would tell you that if a person was a witch, wouldn't they see this coming? If a person was a witch, with powers couldn't they stop people from killing them?

These are just humans, sadly most of the time these are women, with other women even joining into kill them. This is the sad state of things in some parts of the world and this is disgusting.

While I was typing this just a few moments ago on Facebook live, this Ghanian man made a comment accusing someones career of facing a demonic attack. This is the kind of blind stupidity and ignorance that continues to fuel killings and accusations that fuel ignorance and gets people, women killed.

Laws or not this ignorance doesn't seem as if it'll stop anytime soon. While attending 3 different churches in Ghana, they always had practices withtin them that were of witch craft and not the Bible. Men calling themselves prophets and casting demons out in every service.

While people flooded them with money. This is nothing like the teachings of the Bible, many of these people don't ever step foot in a seminary either.

Thank you for reading 🙏🏽 Please consider buying a coffee for Lacey's House efforts in Gender Equality & Children's Rights as it tries to move international.

©️TB Obwoge 2023 All Rights Reserved