Trokosi Practice in Ghana - Essay Example

? Religion and Theology: "Trokosi" Practice In Ghana Religion and Theology: "Trokosi" Practice In Ghana The practice of ‘Trokosi’ is usually described as a tradition that is basically a mixture of ancient cultural practices and religious customs. The term “trokosi” basically means “slave of the gods” in different Ghanaian tribes. ‘Trokosi’, in ancient Ghanaian society, existed as a type of retributive system where the virgin daughters of Ghanaian families that had sinned against the tribe of authorities in the tribe were taken by priests as compensation (Xfm 95.1 NewsCenter, 2008). By giving a daughter to live her life as a slave of the religious authorities of the tribes, families hoped to be spared punishment for their mistakes against the tribe in general or other specific people. The practice of trokosi is based on the superstitious foundation that every human action has a divine motivation. Effects on Society Trokosi is basically enacted to exact revenge on errant tribe members. The vestal virgins who are forced to become trokosis are their families’ sacrificial lambs. The crimes, in Ghanaian society, which traditionally called for the exacting on a trokosi stealing property and committing sexual assault (Xfm 95.1 NewsCenter, 2008). Essentially, the trokosi system of retribution merely punishes an innocent child for the crimes committed by a mature adult in her family. The trokosi system is based on intricate religious and cultural beliefs and practices that make it had, even in the modern world, to completely eradicate this practice. Slavery was recognized in most ancient African societies, particularly in Ghana, as a normal institution of society. This practice, it is believed, was first brought in the seventeenth century into Ghana by the Ewe-speaking population that settled in the country. The trokosi system, then, was not really meant to destroy the lives of innocent children but was started to maintain law and order among the members of the tribe even as different changes in their surroundings began to weaken the leadership of the tribe. The changes called for stricter penalties to be visited upon errant members. It was essentially established to discourage people from committing crimes that would result in destabilizing the tribe. For instance, theft of cattle, which seems so trivial in modern society, might have resulted in the starvation of an entire family or clan back then. Also, in the seventeenth century, the Ewe speaking tribes would take liquor or farm animals from an errant community member. The practice of taking virgins to appease the anger of other community members as well as the gods would come much later. It actually came about as a result of the greed of the lustful and avaricious tribal priests who realized that cows would not bring as much pleasure as virgin girls who, along with bring physical benefits, could also provide sexual benefits. Today, this practice in which girls are forced to work as sexual slaves without any human affection or education being afforded them, is still prevalent in many Ghanaian tribes under different names. It is a remnant of the practice of slavery in a society that has embraced all other modernisms. Some Ghanaian families, particularly those that are in the lower income bracket, use this system to avoid punishment for serious problems that they cause in the society (Xfm 95.1 NewsCenter, 2008). For instant, a drunk man who decides to sexually molest the children of his neighbor can offer his daughter as compensation to the local tribal priest and thus avoid being subjected to a court trial or imprisonment. So engrained is this practice in the psyche of Ghanaian mainstream society, that once such a pedophile offers his daughter, policemen will be reluctant to arrest him. The sacrificial daughter, once given to the service of the tribal priest, has to do anything and everything he asks of her for a number of years. The reality, however, is that after experiencing the benefits of such a relationship, most priests are quite reluctant to give up their charges, and usually end up finding other ‘sins’ for which the girl must give labor and sexual comfort to the priest without any hope of compensation. This ritual servitude is not only confined to Ghana but is a reality in other West African nations. It is also common, for instance, in Benin and Togo where it is referred to as voodoosi. Trokosi is a system that is particularly binding for a family. If, for example, a bound girl dies from mistreatment while acting as a slave to a village priest, or is able to flee, tradition stipulates that she has to be replaced by her sister. There are many families in Ghana that have lost all their daughters to tribal priests for some error that was committed by adult members of the family. The Ghanaian government, in 1998, banned the practice of trokosi, appending a prison sentence of three years for any people who would be found guilty of supporting it. This, however, has done little to discourage it. It has only made the practitioners of this objectionable practice conduct their operations in a more stealthy manner. This is because the practice has religious connections. Ghanaian society, even in the modern times, is still a deeply superstitious society. In the past, it was believed that providing the sacrifice of a trokosi would remove the well-deserved curse of the gods from an errant person or family. Today, the priests use the trokosis as free labour that comes with extra benefits. It is not uncommon for non-governmental organizations seeking to root out the practice from rural Ghanaian tribes to come across instances where girls in their twenties reside with seventy or even ninety year old priests with whom they have lived from the age of twelve as trokosis. The trokosi system in modern Ghana is used as a system for procuring cheap labor and easy sexual companionship. Trokosis are only given enough food to stay alive and work for their masters. They have no rights and are not allowed to attend school. They are not paid for their labours and may not form any relationships without the priest’s consent. They usually do not marry unless their masters make arrangements for them to marry. In addition, trokosis can be whipped or chastised in any other manner that the priest sees fit when he feels that they are lazy or disobedient. They are confined to unhealthy shrines where they have to live their lives in misery until their master decides that their family’s debt has been paid. Reform There are many national as well as international laws that veto the trokosi practice, from the law against enforced pregnancy, sexual slavery, enslavement, to the law against torture. The Ghana Constitution forbids trokosi, but the practice remains popular. The prevalence of this abhorrent practice in spite of the government’s outlawing of it can be said to be the fault of Ghanaian lawmakers (Xfm 95.1 NewsCenter, 2008). The Ghanaian government rarely, if ever, prosecutes people that are found guilty of participating in trokosi. The government has no recognizable enforcement practices to assist in taking legal action against trokosi advocates. The main issue, however, is in imprisoning those who take trokosis. Traditionally, the only men who had the right to benefit from the services of a trokosi were the tribal priests. This is the same today. Prosecuting trokosi advocates would mean imprisoning mainly the tribal priests in Ghana. This is something that many Ghanaian law enforcers fear to do. They do not fear arresting tribal priests simply because they would lose the support of many communities, but also because they somewhat believe in the powers of the priests. It is a fact that many Ghanaian police officers prefer for church authorities or institutions to be the ones to begin legal proceedings against tribal priests as they view the practice of trokosi as being religious in nature. Lastly, any legislation against trokosi is unsuccessful because the Ghanaian government does not have follow up programs that can assist the girls who have lived almost their entire lives as slaves. These girls usually have no social skills or education when they are released, and so cannot support themselves. The need for sustenance can force the girls to return to their masters or fall into prostitution. Recommendations The best way to get rid of the trokosi practice is to educate entire communities as well as tribal priests about the ills of the trokosi system. This will allow girls in the community to develop freely and build their own lives. The government could also begin to arrest adults who commit crimes even if they have already given their daughters as sacrifices to tribal priests. This will show the community members that they will still suffer penalties even if they give their daughters as sacrifices for their crimes. These measures could be combined with social programs targeting girls in their youth and which inform them of their human rights and encourage them to report mistreatment or abductions of any kind of them or their sisters to the authorities. Reference Xfm 95.1 NewsCenter. (2008). Trokosi practice still popular in Ghana-research. Retrieved from http://ghanavoices.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/trokosi-practice-still-popular-in-ghana-research/ Read More