MPs push for Anti-Witchcraft Accusations Bill to be passed
The committee announced the planned monitoring tour in a statement issued on 10 February to mark the World Day Against Witch Hunt.
Parliament’s Human Rights Committee says it will soon visit all witch camps in Ghana, as it steps up pressure for stronger protection for people accused of witchcraft.
The committee announced the planned monitoring tour in a statement issued on 10 February to mark the World Day Against Witch Hunt. In the same statement, it urged government to fast-track the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2025, also called the Anti-Witchcraft Accusations Bill.
According to the committee, the bill should be treated as urgent business by the 9th Parliament, with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection expected to lead the process. It said the law is needed to protect vulnerable people, especially elderly women, who are often the main targets of witchcraft accusations.
The committee described witch hunts as a human rights abuse and said the practice violates several parts of the 1992 Constitution, including Articles 12, 13, 14, 15, 17(2) and 21(2). It also pointed to international obligations Ghana has signed up to, including the Convention against Torture and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The committee praised individuals, civil society groups and governments who continue to campaign against witchcraft accusations in Ghana and beyond, and reaffirmed its support for victims.
The statement was signed by the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, Ernest Yaw Anim.
