By Brianna Lynne From Care2

Albinism is a rare condition that results in a person’s body producing little to no melanin pigment. People with the condition may have visual impairment and skin sensitivity. But for people with albinism in Malawi, the condition may also put them at risk of being killed for their body parts.

People with albinism living in Malawi have been abducted, killed and mutilated for their body parts due to the belief that they have magical powers and can bring good luck and wealth.

People with albinism also face other dangerous misconceptions, such as the belief that they are a curse from the gods and that the condition is contagious, according to anAmnesty International report. And women with albinism are at an increased risk of sexual assault and rape due to the belief that having sex with a person with albinism can cure AIDS.

Credit: JJ Hoefnagel/Wikimedia Commons 

Although people with albinism make up a small portion of the country’s population, the killings still represent a grave human rights issue. Amnesty International estimatesbetween 7,000 and 10,000 people have albinism in Malawi. And according to a United Nations report, 150 cases of killings, attacks and other violations against people with albinism have been reported in the country since 2014. Victims are mostly children or young adults. And these attacks likely do not represent every instance of violence against people with albinism — as many cases could go unreported.

Victims of this violence face gruesome deaths — in part because it is believed that causing the victim to scream during the killing enhances the magical powers, according to theUnited Nations. Illustrating this horrific practice, a man with albinism named Yasin Phiri recently was brutally killed in front of his 9-year-old son. The attackers stabbed him in the stomach, cut off his arms and removed his intestines.

The body parts of a person with albinism are sold in a lucrative illegal market. A corpse can be worth as much as $75,000. And even if people do not believe in the folklore, the high profits may push them toward violence.

According to Amnesty International, people with albinism in Malawi live in daily fear that they will be killed. And they experience societal discrimination. They’re subjected to taunts calling them “ghosts” and “fake white person,” as well as excluded from public services, such as education.

The government has acted in recent years to address this human rights abuse. In 2016, the country implemented stronger penalties for crimes against people with albinism. And in 2019, the country began offering $7,000 rewards for information on abductions and killings.

But human rights groups have expressed concerns that the government is not doing enough to end the violence. Fears are especially high in the country as election season looms. Activists worry that political candidates could target people with albinism for good luck charms ahead of the elections in May.

Increased legislation alone cannot solve this problem, especially if enforcement efforts are lacking. Amnesty International notes that police do not have enough resources or training to address the killings, and consequently most cases do not result in a conviction.

Furthermore, a study on the handling of criminal cases involving people with albinism in Malawi found that investigators, prosecutors and magistrates have not been implementing the new law in some cases. And criminal cases often had long delays due to lack of resources.

The government also must focus on education and outreach to local communities to combat the dangerous misconceptions surrounding albinism. This issue is not isolated to Malawi, as attacks against people with albinism have been reported in 28 African countries. But the country can take a leadership role in ending this injustice and protecting its citizens.

TAKE ACTION!

Sign the petition asking the president of Malawi to divert more funds to combating violence and harassment against people with albinism.

If you want to make a difference on an issue you find deeply troubling, you too can create a Care2 petition, and use this handy guide to get started. You’ll find Care2’s vibrant community of activists ready to step up and help you.

For more on this story go to; https://www.care2.com/causes/people-with-albinism-are-being-killed-for-body-parts-in-malawi.html