Human right groups urged to fight trokosi

Rev Walter Bimpong, Executive Director of International Needs Ghana (ING), made the call at Adidome on Saturday.

ING is a non-profit organization that led efforts to liberate some victims of the trokosi system and advocated a review of the practice.

Under the Ingo’s proposed review, cattle and cash should be paid as atonement instead of the enslavement of young girls to shrine heads.

Rev Bimpong announced that the practice, which abated in the Volta Region, appeared to be on the rise again, alleging that recently some girls were donated to the shrines, and some were seen visiting markets in the region, particularly Dzodze, begging for alms.

Rev Bimpong made the appeal when he commissioned a 10-room guest house built by the ING at its skills training centre to offer training and rehabilitate those liberated from trokosi as well as other needy women and windows.

The well-furnished house with an office, five rooms, a kitchen, laundry and a 30-seater conference room cost about ¢1.5 billion which was donated by a Canadian philanthropist, Miss Maurel Bent, who was present at the ceremony.

Among the participants was a new batch of women receiving training at the centre.

Rev Bimpong said the country’s laws should be applied in full to fight the system, which continues to violate the rights of many women and denied access to opportunities including education.

He said it was unfortunate that some groups in the country are backing the shrines to ignore the calla for its abolishment.

Rev Bimpong announced the upgrading of facilities at the skills training centre to turn it into a tertiary school to enhance education in the Volta Region.

Togbe Kwasinyi Agyeman IV, Chief of Adidome, appealed to traditional rulers to stop obnoxious cultural beliefs and practices that had been found to be irrelevant with time.

He commended ING for breaking the jinx surrounding the trokosi practice in the Mafi- Adidome areas and said “initially we were sceptical, but you provided the reality, we need to hold you high”.

Miss Bent assured the center of the support to advance the cause of women.