ActionAid Ghana and Partners Lead Memorial Lecture and March Honouring Akua Denteh with a Renewed Demand for Justice and Legal Reform

ActionAid Ghana, in collaboration with key civil society and advocacy partners, today led an advocacy memorial lecture and symbolic march to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the brutal murder of Madam Akua Denteh, a 90-year-old woman lynched in Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality following a false accusation of witchcraft.

Held at the Christ the King International School, the event gathered over 250 participants, including survivors of witchcraft accusations, family members, traditional leaders, legal experts, government representatives, students, the media, and activists. The programme served both as a solemn remembrance and a renewed call for the President of the Republic to assent to the Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which criminalises witchcraft accusations and related abuses.

A National Tragedy Demanding Action

Akua Denteh’s lynching on July 23, 2020, was captured in a viral video that shocked the conscience of the nation and the world. Yet, five years later, despite public outcry and legislative progress, the dangerous practice persists.

Ghana has recorded over 300 cases of witchcraft accusations between 2011 and 2021, with the majority affecting elderly women in rural communities. A 2023 study by ActionAid Ghana and Songtaba identified that over 95% of victims of such accusations are women, often widows, and disproportionately poor, uneducated, or living with disabilities.

Currently, over 300 women live in fear and isolation in “witch camps” across the Northern Region, including in Gnani, Kukuo, Nabuli, and Gambaga. These camps are symbolic of state failure to protect vulnerable women.

Voices from the Frontlines

Speaking at the event, Salaami, son of the late Akua Denteh, expressed his anxiety with the delay of the bill and called for immediate legal action.

The bill is a shield for other families who are confronted with this ill-mannered menace in our society. The more we delay, the more we expose innocent mothers like our late mother suffered in the hands of our community. Let's not allow my mother's death to be in vain, we must fight and act fast. 

Commissioner Joseph Whittal, head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), condemned the delay and called for decisive action from the presidency:

“The continued delay of this bill’s assent is a denial of justice. The government must act swiftly. Ghana cannot claim to protect women’s rights while this law remains unsigned. I am confident the current government will act  with urgency and assent ”

Representing the Office of the Vice President, Hon. Momo Lartey, Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection reiterated the government’s commitment:

“President Mahama has made clear his intent to sign the bill, and we at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection are working to ensure the necessary steps are completed without delay.”

The Legislative Journey So Far

The Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, introduced by Hon. Francis-Xavier Sosu (MP for Madina), seeks to amend Ghana’s criminal code to outlaw witchcraft accusations and protect persons accused from abuse, exile, or death. The bill was passed by Parliament in July 2023, following sustained advocacy by the Coalition Against Witchcraft Accusations (CAWA), which includes ActionAid Ghana, Songtaba, WILPF Ghana, The Sanneh Institute, and other human rights organisations.

At today’s event, Hon. Francis Sosu provided a status update while affirming his commitment to keep pushing for the rights of women and children. He disclosed that due to the delay from the previous government, the team is currently working present the bill to the 9th Parliament.

“We are reintroducing the bill in the 9th Parliament with a Certificate of Urgency. 

ActionAid Ghana's Commitment to Social Justice

As a leading voice in the fight against gender-based violence, ActionAid Ghana continues to advocate for legislative change, survivor reintegration, and the dismantling of harmful cultural norms that promote witchcraft accusations.

Since 2021, ActionAid Ghana has:

• Supported the reintegration of over 50 women from witch camps back into their communities.
• Provided legal aid and psychosocial support for survivors.
• Partnered with traditional leaders in the Northern Region to revise community by-laws that previously tolerated witchcraft accusations.
• Engaged over 5,000 students and youth leaders in anti-stigma campaigns.

Speaking during a side interview, the Country Director, John Nkaw

To our Members of Parliament: rise above partisanship and let this become a human rights milestone in our legislative history. To the President: when the Bill reaches your desk, assent without hesitation. To our traditional and community leaders: use your platforms to reject witchcraft accusations publicly, condemn those who incite violence, and embrace restorative leadership. And to every Ghanaian: speak up — silence protects perpetrators. Let your voice be the one that protects the next Akua Denteh.”
— John Nkaw, Country Director, ActionAid Ghana

A Moment for National Reflection and Change

The fifth anniversary of Akua Denteh’s murder is more than a date on the calendar. It is a national moment for reckoning. Ghana cannot continue to pride itself as a democratic and rights-based country while elderly women are lynched, banished, or tortured under the guise of superstition.

ActionAid Ghana and its partners call on the President of Ghana to immediately assent to the Criminal and Other Offences (Amendment) Bill and demonstrate the country’s commitment to ending impunity and protecting the rights of all — especially the most vulnerable.

The Memorial Lecture and March was organised by the lead convenor- The Sanneh Institute in collaboration with ActionAid Ghana, Songtaba, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Boresah Royal Foundation, and Circle of concerned African Women Theologians. 

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