CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
by Mawutodzi K.Abissath, Ghana, October 1998
THEME = SOCIAL CONDIT.
On 16 September 1998, a young Ghanaian journalist, Mr.Vincent
Azumah,
was among 24 proud outstanding journalists who won international awards
at the 18th World Congress of the International Union of the Catholic Press (UCIP),
held from 11-20 September 1998 at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris
Mr.Azumah's award was for an article entitled: "The Slave Girls of Ghana". So what's this "slavery" all about? It refers to a traditional practice involving a number of girls referred to in Mr Azumah's article as "slave girls" or in Ewe (one of the local languages) as "Trokosi". Trokosi literally means: "the servant of a god or deity". For lack of an appropriate English equivalent, the early Christian missionaries in Ghana referred to it as "slavery".
Trokosi was an ancient traditional practice among the ancestors of the present-day Ewes. It's origins are lost in the mists of time. According to Dr.Dartey Kumordzi, a renowned Ghanaian cultural expert and former lecturer in African traditional religion at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, the original concept of Trokosi was not meant to enslave girls.
Dr.Kumordzi explained that Trokosi was traditionally instituted by our African ancestors, to serve as a check on criminal activities such as stealing. In the past, if someone had his/her property stolen and the thief failed to surrender himself/herself for appropriate punishment, the gods of the Trokosi shrine would vent their spleen on all the members of the criminal's family.
This resulted in the thief's relations "kicking the bucket" one after the other, until such time as the offender was found out. Or the death toll would continue until a virgin girl was sent to the priest of the Trokosi shrine to atone for the sins of the runaway criminal.
Another purpose for which the Trokosi system was used in ancient times, was to train virgin girls to live moral, spiritual and noble lives, so that they maintained their virginity until the time of marriage. In other words, the original concept of the institutionalization of the Trokosi system by the ancestors, was to regulate the moral life of young girls, and ensure the well-being of society in general.
But over the years it appears that the real intention of Trokosi system has been abused by some greedy and selfish Trokosi priests, who take undue advantage of the innocent virgins, and turn them into a sex-machine to satisfy their lustful instincts.
One question that puzzle modern minds, is why on earth should an innocent person and a girl at that, be made to sacrifice her life for an unknown criminal ancestor? Also, why should an unscrupulous adult commit a crime, and then a virgin girl have to be sent to a shrine, to atone for the sins of such a miscreant? Shouldn't the gods of the ancestors rather search out the criminals who committed the crime and then deal with them, instead of venting their spleen on innocent relations? Are the gods afraid of the thieves? Why should it be girls who are subjected to this kind of atonement and not men? People are now questioning the justification of the Trokosi's existence in modern Ghana.
In June this year, Ghana's 200 Members of Parliament passed a Bill, amending the Criminal Code. There's been a public outcry against not only the Trokosi system, but other superstitious beliefs which in some parts of the country, lead to the confinement of aged women alleged to be witches. This takes place especially in the northern region where female circumcision practice is also rampant. In order to put a stop to these traditional practices which are tarnishing the international image of the country, a law was passed to "criminalize" the Trokosi system and similar practices. In other words it is a crime and therefore, unlawful, to indulge in the practice of any of these activities.
Under the amended Act, any customary ritual or activity that subjects a person to any form of customary servitude of forced labour is banned.
It was further stipulated that whoever enters into any agreement, whether written or oral, to subject any other person to the performance of the customary ritual, is also to be held liable.
END
CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 1998 - Reproduction
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