The Witches of Gambaga

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• Directed by: Yaba Badoe
• Produced by: Yaba Badoe & Amina Mama

The Witches of Gambaga is the extraordinary story of a community of women condemned to live as witches in Northern Ghana. Every year in this part of Ghana, hundreds of women endure communal and domestic violence as a result of traditional religious beliefs that demonize women. It’s also assumed that it is in women’s nature to harm others. These beliefs, combined with decades of poor health and educational standards, mean women inhabit a world where it is believed that nothing – not even illness or death – happens by chance.

For over a century, women from all over the northern region have found refuge in a camp in the town of Gambaga  where at the moment eighty women live under the protection of the chief, Gambarrana: the custodian of one of four  places of sanctuary for women condemned of witchcraft.

Made over the course of 5 years, this disturbing expose is the product of a collaboration between members of the 100 strong community of ‘witches’ and women’s movement activists determined to end abusive practices and improve women’s lives in Africa. Painful experience and insight come together to create an intimate portrait of the lives of women ostracised by their communities. Told largely by the women themselves, their incredible stories and struggles are conveyed to a wide range of audiences by the director’s narration.