SlaveryMap
Sex Trafficking

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 27 year old woman was freed who had spent most of her life in slavery. After liberation, she chose to become a Christian and attend church, but this brought a rift with her family who felt that former slaves could not choose the Christian faith, even though the Ghana Constitution guarantees freedom of religion to its citizens.

Location
Ghana · Ghana · 2003 (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, vocational training, family reconciliation intervention where possible and and counseling both immediate long term. Every Child Ministries (ECM) Ghana and Fetish Slaves Liberation Movement (FESLIM) http://www.ecmafrica.org/36208.ihtml 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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