GHANA WOMENS ISSUES
Thousands of virgin girls are given to priests to appease the gods for crimes committed by relatives of the family in the Trokosi tradition in Ghana.
The initiation rituals signify marriage to a god and its proxy, the priest.
The girl becomes the priest’s property and enslaved for three to five years, or sometimes, for life.
If the girl dies, or if the priests "tires" of her, the family must replace her.
For serious crimes families enslave generations of daughters in a system of perpetual atonement.
Girls who are released remain married to god for life. Many cannot marry, and remain indebted to the priest.
If the priest dies, his Trokosi are passed to his successor........
At the age of 12, Abla Kotor was given to a local priest in atonement for the rape that resulted in her birth, the rape of her mother by her mother's uncle.
As soon as Abla Kotor has completed three menstrual cycles, the priest to whom she was given, will rape her.
She works his fields and farmlands, cleans his home and cooks his meals.
I knew a woman at Katamanto Market.
She had about 12 girls between the ages of 9 and 13.
All the girls had to go out every day to sell ice water.
They got a gallon of water, and the woman knew how many cups they could sell.
When the girls came back, they were supposed to bring 15 cents.
If they brought back less, they were beaten.
....Testimony of a social worker who works with street children.
When the Trokosi girl begins to menstruate she becomes the sexual property of the priest.
It is common that a Trokosi woman has ten to fifteen children.
The Trokosi are denied access to education and other training.
Their families supply their food and clothing.
The Trokosi practice continues despite the fact that it violates the Ghanian constitution.
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