Violence against women is a serious problem which often recieves less attention. Nepali women are no exception to this with 60-70% threatened by violence. The Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) have presented their overall description and details of incidents of rape, sexual violence and accusations of the practice of witchcraft practices in their 2012 report. To read full report click here
The following paper takes a broad look at the belief in witchcraft around the world, identifies key groups that are at risk of witchcraft accusations, outlines where witchcraft accusations may be most likely to occur, analyses the factors that lead to these becoming a protection concern and finally makes a number of recommendations for policy makers and practitioners working on this issue. See here
Children with albinism (“CWA” – commonly referred to as “albinos”) are a particularly endangered group due to the difficult circumstances in the sub Saharan Africa region. A good number are killed at birth, others abandoned in early childhood, still others are killed by exposure to sunlight and skin cancer.
More recently, scores with albinism including children have been killed due to the witchcraft-related belief that their body parts can be used to create wealth and good luck when used in witchcraft potions. To date there have been 71 documented killings of Persons With Albinism (PWA), 30 Survivors and 17 grave robberies. A majority (over half) of these victims are under the age of 18. The following brief carried out by Under the Same Sun discusses the issues faced by ‘CWA’. Read more here.
