Women's rights in Tanzania
Deyu, was brutally attacked by strangers. She said: "Older women are attacked in other villages too. They are told they are witches."
Older women are still persecuted and accused of witchcraft in Tanzania. However, the reasons behind accusations are complex: Poverty, disease, age discrimination and land disputes are all factors.
Usually, it is the most marginalised who are accused, as they are least able to defend themselves.
In Tanzania, HelpAge and our local partners are training village members to protect women’s rights.
Find out what we're doing to support communities and help older people accused of witchcraft.
From the field
Juliana, our Gender and Legal Coordinator in Tanzania, gives a flavour of HelpAge's work in Sukumaland through her blog.
She writes about gender inequality increasing with age and how older women, especially widows, are vulnerable to accusation and attack.
Meet the people
Nyamizi, 73, was accused by a neighbour of bewitching his child. She received threatening letters and was told to leave her village.
She was brutally attacked one night, but her attacker was never brought to justice.
HelpAge and partners are training paralegal advisers to assist people like Nyamizi.
Get the picture
For best results, view our photos in full screen mode and click "show info" in the top corner.
Meet the people
Hadija, in her early 60s, is a traditional healer.
She was accused of being a witch because she has red eyes from years of cooking on a smoky stove. She was then isolated from her community
HelpAge provides fuel efficient stoves, which produce less smoke, to people like Hadija to protect them from witchcraft accusations.
