19/05/2026
Accusations of witchcraft have caused deep harm in many communities, especially for older women.
What was once connected to powerful traditions, healing, wisdom, and spiritual belief has too often been twisted into a way to isolate, blame, and punish women. Today, many older women live under constant suspicion — accused without evidence, feared without reason, and shunned by the very communities they helped raise.
These accusations can destroy lives. Women are abandoned by family, chased from their homes, denied dignity, and in the worst cases, attacked or killed. Too often, age, poverty, widowhood, disability, or simply being outspoken becomes “proof” of something that was never true.
No woman should live in fear because of superstition, jealousy, grief, or misunderstanding. No woman should be treated as dangerous simply because she is old, vulnerable, or different.
We must protect older women. We must challenge harmful accusations. We must teach our communities that suspicion is not evidence, and tradition should never be used as an excuse for cruelty.
Older women are mothers, grandmothers, leaders, storytellers, caregivers, and keepers of history. They deserve respect, safety, and justice — not fear, rejection, or violence.
