Search Tips
sorted by
30 shown of 88 entities
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism are found in a combination of factors. Aspects of these root causes, such as poverty and impunity, have already been identified outside the context of attacks against persons with albinism and efforts to tackle them tend to be under way in countries where such attacks are reported. However, deeply rooted myths and, in particular, witchcraft beliefs and practices pose a major challenge that has yet to be addressed. They are a key factor fuelling attacks, yet they are often riddled with secrecy and are deeply entrenched, historically and culturally. Another difficulty with regard to these root causes is the shortage of best practices on the matter, including tackling the many challenges that arise from the link to the supernatural, which can complicate evidence-gathering in the framework of a legal approach. The phenomenon certainly calls for further study and a creative but balanced approach, to curb or mitigate its negative implications for human rights, while protecting freedom of belief.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 99b (ii)
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert recommends that the international community:] Continue to work to: Advance the discourse on witchcraft to improve understanding on the phenomena, both generally and in the context of harmful practices, to ultimately ensure the enjoyment of human rights by all victims, including persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 99a
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert recommends that the international community:] Advocate for victims of witchcraft practice, including persons with albinism, by including the phenomena in all discussions and reports on harmful practices;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 98b
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert recommends that Governments, together with civil society and academia:] Develop and implement long-lasting awareness-raising campaigns, as they are critical to addressing harmful practices and rampant myths affecting the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 98a
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert recommends that Governments, together with civil society and academia:] Conduct in-depth research on root causes of attacks against persons with albinism, including on harmful practices related to witchcraft;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 97b
- Paragraph text
- [Accordingly, the Independent Expert recommends that Governments:] Develop, adopt and implement action plans or strategies addressing, from a multisectoral approach, harmful practices linked to witchcraft and their impact on all victims, including persons with albinism, in consultation with civil society;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Addressing deeply rooted beliefs and practices such as witchcraft necessitates efforts in public education, which ought to be sustained even when the most visible aspects of the consequences of witchcraft on persons with albinism, namely the attacks against persons with albinism, appear to be decreasing.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Finally, campaigns should engage faith-based organizations, traditional leaders, persons with albinism and their families. They should address witchcraft and related beliefs, as well as fundamental topics involving albinism, including biological and scientific information on the genetic origins of the condition and other objective facts to debunk myths and misbeliefs surrounding the condition.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, research on the root causes of attacks, including witchcraft, is necessary to refine prevention and protection measures. As specific witchcraft-related beliefs and practices tend to arise from specific contexts, supported by different concepts and described by a diversity of terms, research has to be undertaken with particular attention to the specific sociocultural context.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against persons with albinism are characterized by the hacking off of body parts. This appears to be the primary purpose of a majority of attacks. Body parts such as limbs are removed from the body and transported to alleged witchdoctors for the purpose of concocting muti or juju medicines and potions.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- In 2013, the Parliament of Papua New Guinea repealed the Sorcery Act (1971) in total. The Act, whose objective was "to prevent and punish evil practices of sorcery and other similar evil practices", acknowledged the existence of sorcery and criminalized its practice, including attacks against people accused of sorcery. In 2014, new legislation criminalizing killings related to sorcery was enacted.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 46c
- Paragraph text
- [Accordingly, to be regarded as harmful, practices should meet any or a combination of the following criteria:] They are traditional, re-emerging or emerging practices that are prescribed and/or kept in place by social norms that perpetuate male dominance and inequality of women and children, on the basis of sex, gender, age and other intersecting factors;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Muti is a Zulu word used in southern Africa that refers to types of traditional medicine, magical charms, potions or amulets. It has also been defined as a substance fabricated from plants, animals or minerals by a person possessing expert knowledge and skill. In West Africa, the term "juju" is used to refer to a similar practice. It is sometimes believed that the muti or juju will be more effective if it contains human body parts, in particular those of persons with albinism, as these are believed to be intrinsically magical or powerful, with the ability to produce wealth and confer good luck. "Muti murder", "medicine murder" and "juju" are therefore the terms most commonly associated with ritual attacks to produce charms, potions or amulets that involve the use of human body parts. In this context, muti and juju seem to be related to witchcraft and are therefore subsumed by the term "witchcraft" in the present report. In particular, witchcraft-related beliefs, rituals and practices seem to give energy and meaning to muti and juju. Even if in some cases witchcraft-related beliefs are described as superstitions unaffiliated with any religious systems, they can be harnessed by witchcraft practitioners to the detriment of various victims, including persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft beliefs and related practices are not simply the repetition of ancient traditional practices; they can change or develop. While some beliefs and practices appear to have ancient origins that have been both preserved and adapted to contemporary contexts, other practices, such as the use of body parts from persons with albinism, are apparently of recent origin. In that regard, it would constitute a "new tradition" or an "invented tradition" that has been adapted or is adaptable to contemporary society. Some stakeholders suggest that attacks against persons with albinism are a recent phenomenon because of the rapid spread of the problem across multiple countries in the last 10 years. For example, stakeholders in Malawi and in Mozambique repeatedly stated that the use of body parts of persons with albinism was not a traditional practice in their respective countries and that it had developed recently, influenced by practices in other countries. However, there are insufficient data to support this assertion. In addition, even if it were substantiated, attacks and the use of body parts linked to witchcraft practices could not take hold so quickly in a country unless there was already a context facilitative of witchcraft beliefs and practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Children with albinism are often particular targets of attacks due to the witchcraft-based belief that the innocence of a victim from whom body parts are taken increases the potency of the potion for which the body parts are used. Cases reported by civil society indicate that children constitute a large proportion of victims of ritual attacks.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Bullying of school-age children owing to their appearance has also been reported in other regions of the world, such as in sub-Saharan Africa. However, in that region, discrimination takes more extreme forms, including infanticide, physical threats and attacks. Lack of information on the condition facilitates the spread of myths to explain albinism, most of which are erroneous and in some cases dangerous, including myths that people with albinism are ghosts or the result of conception during menstruation or the result of a general curse. Life in that context could be described as a cycle of discrimination. Civil society has reported that ostracism of entire families owing to the strong negative connotation of the birth of a child with albinism, perceived as a source of misfortune in certain regions, contributes to infanticide and abandonment of children. Where there are no systematic birth and death records, identification and reporting of such cases are even more difficult. In some regions, children with albinism drop out of school for reasons linked to stigma and because no reasonable accommodation is made for the vision impairment often resulting from albinism. A lack of education combined with widespread absence of health information often lead persons with albinism to employment outdoors with no protection from the sun, which exposes them to a high risk of skin cancer.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- According to information received, the erroneous beliefs and myths, including certain witchcraft practices, have led to the desecration of graves of persons with albinism. Such desecrations have been reported in at least seven countries in Africa. In the cases reported, graves of persons with albinism were open and body parts or bones were stolen.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The large number of cases reported by civil society no doubt represents a fraction of the attacks against persons with albinism. The secrecy that often surrounds ritual attacks, the complicity of family members in certain cases, the difficulty in accessing data owing to the fact that most attacks occur in rural environments, as well as the low response to such attacks may serve as hindrances to the reporting and visibility of attacks. Moreover, discrimination against persons with albinism and significant impunity may also have an impact on the reporting of such cases. Impunity was also highlighted by OHCHR, which had received information that persons with albinism faced significant difficulties in having their cases brought to justice. In a similar vein, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children has stated that the human rights violations committed against children with albinism are of the highest severity. Discrimination, harassment and violence, including cases of mutilation and murder, are often met with passivity and rarely reported, as they often take place in remote areas and because such children are perceived as bringing bad luck and being a source of shame to even their own families and communities. Mutilation and murders of children with albinism are mostly met by social silence and indifference.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert intends to address the impact of witchcraft on the human rights of persons with albinism as a harmful traditional practice and as one of the root causes of ritual attacks. This will require careful understanding, definition and delineation of the practice, the form it takes and the effects it has on persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert makes the following recommendations to States affected by attacks against persons with albinism:] [Legal action] Ensure that the practice of using body parts for witchcraft-related practices is adequately and unambiguously criminalized in domestic legislation;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Nevertheless, it is important to state categorically that none of the testimonies received by the Independent Expert supports the proposition that anyone, whether perpetrator, witchdoctor, traditional medicine practitioner, herbalist or buyer, has become wealthier after taking part in such attacks or after using charms and potions involving body parts of persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- In addition, there have been cases where persons with albinism themselves have been accused of witchcraft and persecuted as a result. This can be linked to some of the dehumanizing myths described above. Mothers of children with albinism have also, in certain instances, been accused of witchcraft for giving birth to a child with the condition.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Infants
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Today, it is highly concerning that witchcraft beliefs surrounding albinism have spread widely and that persons with albinism are often nicknamed "asset", "money", "deal" or "million" in reference to the alleged value of their body parts. Such taunts are reportedly widespread in both rural and urban environments, particularly in countries where attacks on persons with albinism are reported.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Rituals involving the use of body parts of persons with albinism have been reportedly used by football teams, wrestlers and musicians. Similar practices were reported for the purpose of winning an election, obtaining a job or promotion, or for business success.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The present report will focus on the aspect of witchcraft relating to the ritual killing of persons with albinism for the use of body parts (also referred to as muti or juju), for the ultimate goal of obtaining an advantage or causing harm, or for any other purpose which necessitates the attribution of supernatural powers to the body parts.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- One of the most extreme consequences of adhering to myths concerning albinism is infanticide. Although cases of infanticide of children with albinism are very hard to document, anecdotes and folk stories about the killing at birth of such children, particularly in rural areas, are common.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- In areas where myths are prevalent, the birth of a child with albinism is often viewed as a social tragedy. Ridicule, blame-throwing, harrowing family intervention and pressure placed on parents or on the mother of the child are commonplace. Because of the social stigma attached to having a child with albinism, fathers of children with albinism sometimes decide to abandon their partners, leaving those children to be brought up in challenging conditions by single mothers. Often, such a single mother and her child are further relegated to the fringes of the community to avoid contaminating others with her "curse". In other instances, mothers voluntarily relocate away from the community to minimize taunts and harassment from others. Therefore, raising a child with albinism in these contexts, either as a single mother or in a family, is synonymous with a life of exclusion and poverty - one that leaves the child with albinism vulnerable to both sexual and physical attack, as has been demonstrated by reported cases. In other cases, children with albinism have been abandoned or rejected from their birth by both mother and father and have grown up in orphanages and on the streets.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Poverty
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Myths yield several interrelated consequences. According to contributions received by the Independent Expert, these consequences are manifested in the lives of persons with albinism in the form of abandonment by their families; normalized isolation and discrimination by their communities; vulnerability to attacks; and infanticide.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Most potent is the belief that persons with albinism can be used in money-making rituals and for good luck charms and amulets. The crux of this belief is the notion that the body parts of persons with albinism - their skin, hair, genitals and limbs - can generate financial and other desirable gains when used for witchcraft rituals, practices and paraphernalia.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, myths also portray children with albinism as symbols of evil spirits that need to be chased away. To do so, it appears that rituals are conducted whereby the child is forced to drink a potion or go through other ritual ceremonies and trials by ordeal.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph