In 2011, Jostina Sangweni, a 59-year-old woman living with schizophrenia, was dragged from her home in South Africa. Her neighbors accused her of witchcraft. They beat her, tied her up, and burned her alive.
Just over a decade later, in 2022, a 22-year-old Nigerian student named Deborah Samuel was stoned to death by her classmates. Her body was then set on fire, all because of an accusation of blasphemy.
These are not isolated tragedies. They are part of a long, bloody pattern across our continent, where religion and superstition are twisted into weapons against women.
In northern Ghana, hundreds of women, mostly widows are still confined to so-called “witch camps.” They are not witches; they are scapegoats. Cast out by their communities, branded with shame, they live in exile until death.
In Tanzania, the violence has been staggering. In 2014 alone, more than 700 women, many of them elderly widows, were hacked to death with machetes after being accused of witchcraft.
And in Somalia, the world watched in horror in 2008 as 13-year-old Aisha Ibrahim was stoned to death by 50 men in front of 1,000 spectators. Her so-called “crime” was adultery. In truth, Aisha had been raped. She was a child.
The Dangerous Belief That Won’t Die
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, more than half of people still believe in witchcraft. To many, this might seem like harmless cultural folklore. But for women, it is deadly. A strange illness, a poor harvest, or the death of a child, too often, the explanation is to blame a woman.
This belief does not just kill; it silences. Communities turn away. Leaders deflect. Faith is invoked as a shield for barbarity.
What Happens If We Stay Silent
If this continues, more girls will be burned alive, more mothers cast out into witch camps, more widows slaughtered in the name of God. Silence today guarantees blood tomorrow.
And make no mistake: this is not about religion alone. This is patriarchy, cloaked in scripture and superstition. It is the age-old fear of women’s power, whether in their voices, their choices, or their very survival.
Why This Matters to Us at LLA
At Leading Ladies Africa, we believe women’s lives, voices, and futures must never be sacrificed on the altar of fear. We cannot claim to fight for gender equity while turning away from the flames consuming our sisters.
We believe faith should heal, not harm. Communities must unlearn these dangerous beliefs. Leaders must act with courage, not complicity. Women must be protected, celebrated, and given the space to thrive.
Because women are not witches, heretics, or sinners. They are human beings. They are mothers, daughters, leaders, and dreamers. And when we protect women, we protect the soul of our continent.
The future of Africa cannot be built on the ashes of women’s bodies.
It must be built on courage, compassion, and the unshakable truth that women’s lives matter.
