Violent attacks against persons with albinism in South Africa: A human rights perspective (original) (raw)
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African Disability Rights Yearbook, 2017
The marginalisation of persons with albinism has for years gone unnoticed. Recently various platforms have been used to combat reported harmful practices against persons with albinism, particularly in Africa. While it is currently accepted that albinism is a human rights agenda, the manner of its advocacy remains unresolved with respect to the ‘appropriate legal approach’ for protecting the rights of persons with albinism. When addressing this problem, two issues appear to be confused: identity (the ‘who are we’ question); and the appropriate legal antidiscrimination approach. Thus, the two issues are distinguished in this contribution by endorsing the ‘appropriate legal anti-discrimination approach’ in realising the rights of persons with albinism. It is worth noting that questions of identity are subjective and should not be confused with objective and empirical questions regarding the appropriate legal mechanisms designed to promote and protect the rights of a particular group. Without downplaying the significance of identity in the formation of the rights groups movement, which has proved vital to the development of human rights, this contribution argues that, while persons with albinism might have multiple identities, the ‘disability rights approach’, which is founded on the social model of disability that uses human rights as a path, is well placed to accommodate matters concerning the rights and equality of persons with albinism.
Journal for the Study of Religion
Albinism, an inherited condition from birth as a result of the lack of melanin pigment which usually changes the colour of the skin, hair and eyes, is usually greeted with resentment in most African communities. In Ghana, some communities and families consider it a misfortune to give birth to Albinos and hence, attempts are made to either kill them at birth or banish them from the community. They are constantly abused and ridiculed by the public with derogatory names and social tags that serve as a form of stigmatization. Evidently, it is clear that the discrimination against albinos in Ghana are underlain by religious and cultural beliefs. This article takes into perspective how religious beliefs and cultural values contribute to the plight of albinos in Ghana and further, discusses how the inculturation of human rights can help mitigate the violence that is perpetrated against persons with albinism.
Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 2019
The mythology of most African societies includes the belief in patriarchy and primogeniture, holding the view that succession and the continuity of family lineage are only possible through the males. As such, women are considered inferior to men and often treated with prejudice. Albinism is also treated with prejudice in African societies. This includes the belief that sexual intercourse with a woman or a girl with albinism can cure serious infections like HIV/AIDS. Thus, in addition to common forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by women in Sub-Saharan Africa, those with albinism are particularly vulnerable to rape and sexual violation. In extreme cases, especially in East and Central Africa; these women and other persons with albinism are kidnapped for sacrifice or ritual purposes. Their vital organs are harvested for preparing Bcharms^for magic and spiritual powers. In other cases, they are simply murdered to ensure that they do not procreate. This paper explores common myth-based violations against women with albinism in Africa. It argues that these women suffer the tragedy of double prejudice and special violations to dignity and life, contrary to standard templates of international human rights. It then suggests specific measures for dealing with these violations at all levels: societal, municipal, regional, and international. Significantly, the paper raises global consciousness on the persecution of minorities, especially women and girls with albinism in Africa.
Africans with albinism experience stigma and discrimination as people with white skin in black societies, and as people with disabilities of low vision or blindness and susceptibility to contracting skin cancers. A more recent form of discrimination is attacks against people with albinism, only reported by news media in Tanzania since 2006. Violence in the Great Lakes district appears to be driven by traditional 'witchdoctors' and carried out by contract killers to meet a market for albino body parts along an axis of wealth and poverty. This paper discusses how discrimination and violence against people with albinism, especially children, is portrayed in Swahili and English Tanzanian news articles of 2008-2012. A content analysis reveals that coverage is most commonly framed in terms of law enforcement and national shame, reflecting sourcing from court and police reports and politicians' statements, with some human rights framing. This analysis also shows how people with albinism are portrayed as 'skin-disabled', humans with rights and as economic commodities, and their attackers as subhuman and betrayers of the nation. Although such violence is seen as shameful, Tanzanian media provides public space for African people to debate and shape knowledge about the impact of cultural and economic development on disadvantaged persons with albinism.
Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal, 2018
South Africans with albinism are among the most marginalised and vulnerable citizens yet very little attention is paid to protecting them from human rights violations. There have been several calls by people with albinism in South Africa to be classified as disabled. The question of whether albinism is classified as a disability or not is a controversial legal one, which does not always have a straightforward answer. A literature search indicates that in South Africa no comprehensive and analytical study has been carried out on the subject of albinism and disability, whereas this has already been addressed in court cases in the United States of America. This paper anticipates addressing this gap within a legal perspective. The objective of such an analysis is to understand the construction of disability under the Employment Equity Act in order to shed light on whether people with albinism qualify for the protection, which is afforded to people with disabilities in the work place. Fo...
Malawi has experienced a boom in radio and television stations, newspapers, online media, and a democratic dispensation has been put in place, but reporting of human rights abuses in the country is unsatisfactory. One of the most pressing issues at the moment in the country is the killing, maiming, abduction and disappearance of persons with albinism. Persons with albinism face discrimination and stigma based on false beliefs. A content analysis of Malawian newspaper articles on the attacks on persons with albinism suggests that reporting is largely specific, reactive and superficial. The articles from the Times Media Group and Nation Publications Limited published between 2016 and 2018, seem not to aim at demystifying the issue of albinism as a mere disability, and the press portray persons with albinism as helpless victims of voodoo. There is hardly any framing of articles to show positive contributions or normalcy of persons with albinism. The Malawian newspapers should highlight their achievements and portray them as more than mere victims. Additionally, there is a role for investigative journalism to help in tracking buyers of body parts of persons with albinism. Better reporting of violations would ultimately help raise human rights standards in Malawi and Africa as a whole.