Are Old Women Witches?

The United Nations chronologically defines an older person as someone who is 60 years and above. October 1, was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as International Day for Older Persons in 1990 by Resolution 45/106. This is in recognition and appreciation of the contributions that older persons make to their societies. The day is also to draw attention to the challenges older people face and the opportunities they present to society. It is, however, sad to see how the old and aged persons, especially women are sometimes treated due to their frail looks. For instance, in Africa, some older women are branded witches and blamed for causing problems in families such as infertility. They are beaten, maltreated, starved and sometimes murdered for no apparent reasons. This situation, by some members of the society, sometimes pave the way for some old women to eternally visit their graves early which may not be their appointed time by God. Such old women, branded witches are sometimes banished from their preferred places of abode to deprived communities where life becomes very difficult for them. This inhumane practice violates their human rights. It is very sad to see some of the youth refusing to offer help to the aged. They are refused seats in buses. We must be mindful that many of our older persons have paid their dues to society and the nation at large. At the national level, many older people are still active in economic activities in both the formal and informal sectors. Many of them own cocoa farms and others own farms which feed the nation. In the informal sector, old women actually work until they are physically unable to continue working. Really, there is the need to put in place national policies to protect the fundamental human rights of old women in the country. Their health care should be paramount to enable them to contribute to the development of the country. Aging is a journey we are all traveling, seconds by seconds, and so the earlier we begin to appreciate and prepare for our old age, the better we stand the chance of adding more life to our years, rather than years to our life. We should also be mindful of the fact that we shall be there one day and our youthful facial looks will change. Let us join hands to support the development of our dear grandparents in the country. They came to the world first and without them, we cannot develop properly. A nation or family without its old people cannot achieve its goals.

Source: Anita Nyarko/The Ghanaian Times