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 Periodical article |
 Leiden University catalogue |
| Title: | The troxovi system in South Eastern Ghana and its implications for the shrine maidens |
| Author: | Akpabli-Honu, Kodzovi |
| Year: | 2013 |
| Periodical: | Legon Journal of Sociology (ISSN 0855-6261) |
| Volume: | 5 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 62-83 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Ghana |
| Subjects: | African religions girls reparations offences against human rights offences against the person |
| Abstract: | This study examines the life of girls used as objects of reparation to atone for crimes committed by their relations in a religious sect among the Anio and Tongu in South Eastern Ghana. The troxovi system revolves around the belief that deities are capable of exposing and meting out severe punishment to the families of criminal suspects summoned to them. The afflictions suffered by the family members of the criminals are only abated after the provision of a maiden (trokosi or fiasidi) as reparation to the shrine. The alleged abuse of maidens given to the shrine resulted in campaigns against the religious system by NGOs and women groups and its ultimate legislative proscription by the government. Nevertheless, the system still persists. Using empirical data generated from in-depth interviews of maidens and operatives of selected shrines as well as participant observation of some rituals associated with the troxovi system, the study found that the troxovi system has never been fair to the committed maidens. They have been deprived of some fundamental rights such as access to basic formal education, acquisition of employable skills and membership of their own family. They are also forced to have sexual relations with the chief priests. The paper concludes by observing that the continued submission of the maidens to the system is the result of fear of the consequences of any decision to desert the shrines. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract] |