Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 64
Paragraph- Paragraph text
- An analogy can be drawn from the positive correlation found between witch-hunting and poverty. In his study of the phenomenon of witch killings, Edward Miguel uses rainfall variation to estimate the impact of income shocks on murders in rural areas of the United Republic of Tanzania. He noted that rainfall extremes (drought or flood) led to an income drop, and linked that information to data on witch killings in the villages. While undesirable levels of rainfall led to a large increase in the number of murders of "witches", it had no impact on the number of other types of murder. He concluded that income drops caused by undesirable levels of rain and related economic hardship are key factors in the killings of so-called witches. A similar correlation was established in a study by Emily Oster which focused on the Renaissance period in Europe. She noted that one of the sharpest drops in temperature, which negatively impacted economic growth, coincided with the reinvigoration of witchcraft trials. Both studies highlight the link between poverty or income reduction and reliance on supernatural beliefs, including witchcraft, for explaining the misfortune.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Other
- Reference
- IE Albinism, Report to the UNGA (2016), A/71/255, para. 64.
- Paragraph number
- 64
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