Witch-Hunting in Odisha.

Abstract

In northern Ghana, hundreds of women, accused of witchcraft by relatives or members of their community, have been living in ‘witch camps’ after fleeing or being banished from their homes. The camps, which have been home to around 800 women and 500 children, offer poor living conditions, and little hope for a normal life. These women have fled after they had faced discrimination, threats and even mob justice after being accused of witchcraft. They had been blamed for ‘crimes’ involving sickness, droughts, fires, cursing a neighbor or even just appearing in one’s dream. Those who managed to escape and reach the witch camps were the lucky ones. Several women were murdered after being branded as ‘witches’. In 2010, the case of a 72-year-old woman who was set on fire and killed made headlines around the world.