CFAS HOLDS A WEBINAR SERIES ON VICTIMS OR PERPETRATORS: CULTURALLY BASED ABUSES AND OLDER ADULTS
The Centre for Ageing Studies organized a webinar series on Wednesday, June 28th, 2023. The topic for the Webinar was Victims or Perpetrators: Cultural-based Abuses and Older Adults and was presented by Dr. Mrs. Lilian Ayete-Nyampong, the Director of the Research Department, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The event was moderated by the Director of the Centre, Prof Mavis Dako-Gyeke. The virtual event attracted over 280 participants worldwide.
Dr. Mrs. Lilian Ayete-Nyampong’s presentation offered a general overview of harmful cultural practices and how older adults become either perpetrators or victims of such harmful cultural practices based on the experiences culture metes out to them. She made mention of the legal framework and policies that are being implemented by the Law to curb such practices
The starting point of her presentation was a review of a literature paper. She explained that harmful cultural practices are discriminatory practices and that older persons play a crucial role as either direct or indirect victims or direct and indirect perpetrators of harmful cultural practices. She also highlighted some of these harmful cultural practices which include, forced or early marriage, witchcraft, female genital mutilation, and ritual or customary servitude. The focus of her presentation was on the ritual or customary practice, Trokosi. The presenter elaborated more on how these harmful cultural practice affects the general health of victims. She added that victims could suffer physically, emotionally, economically, and psychologically. Also, families of victims including older adults could suffer indirectly from those cultural practices.
A Cross Section of Participants at the Webinar
Furthermore, she highlighted some tasks that victims of this ritual servitude perform, which include sweeping, cooking, working on the farm, engaging in sexual intercourse with the priest and childbearing. According to the presenter, young girls are subjected to a lifetime servitude which is an infringement on their human rights depriving them of basic things like access to education and healthcare.
Concerning issues about laws and their implementation pertaining to harmful cultural practices, Dr. Mrs. Lilian Ayete-Nyampong hinted that although the trokosi practice still exists, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) plays an integral role in supporting the efforts of International Human Rights Organization by ensuring the release of trokosi victims. Also, some law enforcement agents are unable to enforce the laws on account of their loyalty to deities. She concluded by urging participants present to go back to the village to consult the old men and women but not on the account of their wisdom but on grounds that they are stakeholders of both victims and perpetrators.
A Cross Section of Participants at the Webinar
Some participants took turns to ask questions and they received appropriate answers from the presenter. The moderator, Director of the Centre, Prof Mavis Dako-Gyeke thanked the presenter for the insightful, informative, and educative presentation given, and further expressed her gratitude to the participants for their time and making the webinar a success.
A Cross Section of Participants at the Webinar