Combatting Witchcraft-Related Violence through Song

Arts-in-Action (AH/T012986/1) introduced arts-based interventions to combat gender-based violence (GBV) in the AmaZizi chiefdom (nine rural villages in Eastern Cape (EC), South Africa (SA)). Early in the project we unexpectedly identified a covert—yet major—GBV threat: witchcraft-related violence (WRV), with elderly women the frequent targets. Physical features common to ageing—wrinkled skin, thinning hair, missing teeth—when associated with women, are routinely equated with 'being a witch'. If accused, these women are pushed into social isolation, many beaten, maimed, raped, or murdered. Through Arts-in-Action, we established a singing-intervention to support WRV survivors to work through their traumas and regain self-esteem. De Jong (PL) led song-writing workshops, supporting the women to take traditional songs and attach new lyrics that voiced personal experiences of WRV and introduced ageing as common and normal. Rehearsals became 'safe spaces' where these women received mutual support and reassumed a much-needed sense of community. This small intervention proved transformative not solely for the women, but also the AmaZizi community, by helping them acquire a more empathetic understanding of ageing (see De Jong & Jongisilo 2022): the ensemble performed around AmaZizi (at weddings, store openings, market events), each performance an occasion to educate on the ageing process and dispel myths around witchcraft. The end-result, confirms Chief Jongisilo (PcL)—who oversees witchcraft-related accusations in the region—has been a decrease in WRV cases and accusations. Building on these results, the PL and PcL will increase Arts-in-Action's impact by tackling WRV at the provincial level and establishing measures for fighting WRV nationally: this follow-on project tests our singing-intervention in 10 additional chiefdoms across EC, engaging over 60 villages and over 1-million new users. Its replication allows us to investigate its transferability to and sustainable-capability in other sites, and obtain required data to support the SA Government to implement nationally. A performance tour across SA further provokes expansion to chiefdoms outside EC. Our follow-on project is a sequential design. First, we meet community members from each chiefdom to discuss individual WRV needs and priorities. Second, using our data, we design the singing-interventions in collaboration with the elderly women and together implement, test, and embed those interventions across the 10 chiefdoms. Documentation regarding the process will be made available to ensure chiefdoms can continue interventions post-funding and the SA Government has the data required for replication. Third, we focus on creating sustainable change through policy-development (enabling knowledge exchanges that include civic groups, traditional leaders, and government offices) and high-profile public engagement events (disseminating positive messages around women and ageing); a Replication Toolkit, too, will be organised to aid stakeholders with longer-term plans to combat WRV. The overall aim of this project is to: Prevent WRV in EC To meet that aim, project actions are framed around the following specific objectives (which are further framed through our project's Work Packages, see Approach section): Introduce participatory knowledge practices that enhance communities' understanding of women and ageing Implement actions that support WRV survivors and shift public opinion Empower stakeholders to create sustainable change