SlaveryMap
CSEC

Ghana, Ghana

The practice of ritual or customary servitude was outlawed in Ghana in 1998, but no one has ever been prosecuted under the law. Rather, the practical implementation of the law has fallen largely to NGO's who have facilitated the shrines in ending the practice. Two NGO's, Every Child Ministries Ghana and Fetish Slaves Liberation Movement negotiated with the Aklidokpo shrine community and educated them as to the issues over a span of over a year, finally winning the approval of the shrine for the liberation of all its trokosi slaves on January 22, 2004. The liberation was a public event in which the shrine freed the slaves and their children and agreed to end the practice of ritual servitude in that place. In this case a woman of unknown age was freed having served as a slave in the shrine since she was too young to remember. When she came she was too young to act on her own and was cared for by older slaves until she grew older. She was the third girl enslaved at the shrine in an attempt to atone for the same misdeed. When the priest tried to rape her, she ran away but was soon caught. Again she tried to run away later, but always ended up back at the shrine. She still struggles with fear, feeling that the god of the shrine may kill her at any time and for any reason.

Location
Ghana · Ghana · 2002 (location generalized to protect survivors)
Response & intervention
Although no one has ever been prosecuted for involvement in ritual servitude, law enforcement is supportive of the liberation efforts by NGO’s. The liberation was attended by CHRAJ (Committee on Human Rights & Administrative Justice), police and representatives of several government agencies. The victims were emancipated in a public and culturally appropriate ceremony which ended their obligation to the shrine. Afterwards they received direct aid, family reconciliation intervention where possible, aid in starting a small business, and counseling both immediate and long term. http://www.ecmafrica.org/36208.ihtml Every Child Ministries (ECM) Ghana and Fetish Slaves Liberation Movement (FESLIM) One of the main focus points of Every Child Ministries is an anti-slavery/anti-trafficking initiative on behalf of African children. ECM has conducted extensive research into the issue of ritual servitude and follows all the shrines of the area that still hold trokosi slaves. This liberation was one of the fruits of that initiative.
Sources

Documented on the original SlaveryMap (2008–2016). Use “Report a problem” below to add a source or flag an issue.

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