Trokosi still ongoing

A recent research has revealed that Trokosi practice in Ghana still exists, ten years after the enactment of laws by parliament to abolish the practice.

However, it is done under cover. According to a Senior Lecturer at the Geography and Resource Department of the University of Ghana, Mr. Sosthenos Kufogbe, the concept of Trokosi has not changed within the practicing communities.

"It is difficult for some sections of the society to see it as a human rights violation. They see it as a traditionally reliable way of dispensing and maintaining social justice in comparison to the formal judicial system."

Mr Kufogbe stated this at a workshop by International Needs Ghana, held at Ada to disseminate the findings of the research on the Trokosi practise in Ghana.

Trokosi, a traditional practice involves young girls taken to shrines as slaves in compensation for offenses allegedly committed, or debts incurred, by a member of the girl's family, or as payment for favours sought from the shrine.

The word Trokosi comes from the Ewe word "tro", meaning deity or fetish, and 'kosi', meaning female slave. Trokosi literally means wife of the gods in the local Ewe language.

The research was conducted in seven districts namely Dangme East and West, North and South Tongu, Ketu, Keta and Akatsi districts. Mr. kufogbe regretted that the issue of numbers of victims and people associated with Trokosi has remained most illusive in the study because of its secret nature.

He observed that like all other forms of female ritual bondage, Trokosi is shrouded in secrecy and victims as well as associates of the practise are under constant fear of the power of the gods to punish and even kill traitors who divulge any secrets of the practise to outsiders.

A crude estimates of numbers shows that the number of subjects directly under the practise is about 278.

This comprises victims who are living within the immediate shrine vicinity and also with surrogate mothers or parents within shrine communities.

The number, he said could be higher if an additional count is taken of the children of subjects of the shrine, and further higher if other subjects periodically return to celebrate the annual festivals associated with their respective shrines.

According to the Senior Lecturer, about 53.9% of the estimated number are in the Ketu district where most of the shrines are still active.

He said the North Tongu district still accounts for about 20.5%, while Dangme East, Dangme West, South Tongu and Akatsi districts have the lowest figures.

He said intervention strategies of advocacy and enforcement of the law criminalizing the practise have not made any impact in some of the practicing communities.

"No arrests have been made for prosecution. There is the need to take a more critical look at the law and its implementation mechanisms since the mistrust of the affected persons in the formal judicial system appears to make Trokosi a more readily available option for seeking social justice in the practicing communities."

He added that on-going programmes of advocacy and civic education should be targeted at all involved in the practise, including shrine priests, victims/subjects and their families and the entire communities, and accelerated to ensure total elimination of aspects of Trokosi that continue to violate fundamental human rights.