'WITCHES' ENROLLED ON LEAP

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The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has enrolled 751 alleged witches unto the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, LEAP, to enable them to earn some income to live decent lives. The beneficiaries were selected from the witches’ camps at 'Gambaga, Kukuo, Nabuli, Kpatinga, Leli-Daberi and Ngnan-Yendi.' 

Addressing the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi, the sector Minister, Otiko Afisa Djaba, noted that the Ministry has successfully conducted three LEAP programmes this year, covering a total of 213 thousand and 44 households nationwide.

 She condemned the inhumane treatment older women are subjected to in certain areas in the country on the excuse that such women are witches. T

ouching on other social protection initiatives started by her Ministry, Madam Afisa Djaba disclosed that a five-year Strategic Plan to completely eradicate the phenomenon of head porterage commonly known as ‘kayaye’ from the country saying that a mapping up exercise is ongoing in major marketing centres in the country to gather data on head porters to inform decisions towards attainment of goals of the project. 

Additionally, a programme code-named ‘Operation Get off the Street Now for a Better Life’ has also been developed to reduce the number of people living on the streets of Ghana. Collection of information to create a database is ongoing with four thousand and 98 children already registered. 

Madam Afisa Djaba expressed with regret that, despite the successes achieved over the years, women, girls and the vulnerable continue to suffer from abuse and exploitation. 

According to her, recent report of the Ghana Living Standards Survey revealed that 21 point-eight per cent of children aged five and seven years are still engaged in child labour with 14 per cent of such children involved in hazardous form of child labour. 

Madam Afisa Djaba appealed for a closer collaboration among her ministry and the traditional authorities to 'abolish negative socio-cultural practices such as female genital mutilation, child marriage, Trokosi and other outmoded taboos' in the various communities. 

She urged the various houses of chiefs to play an advocacy role in the protection of the rights of women, children, vulnerable and the socially excluded people in the society. 

The President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede, indicated that steps are being taken to amend the Chieftaincy Act to embed queens from the paramountcies

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