Albinism includes a group of inherited conditions that result in reduced melanin production. It has been documented across the world, with a high frequency in sub-Saharan Africa.
There is very little published research about the lives of people with albinism, but available evidence shows that myths abound regarding their condition. They are feared, viewed with suspicion, and believed to have supernatural powers that bring good luck.
In Africa, lack of the usual dark pigmentation found in indigenous populations makes the visible appearance of those with the condition markedly different to those in their families and communities without albinism. They are in effect what Phatoli and colleagues describe as ‘being black in a white skin’.
This has significant, negative psychosocial and cultural impacts brought about by perceptions of ‘otherness’. Their lives are often marred by stigmatization and rejection, lack of acceptance, and limited social integration.
As a result of their perceived difference, people with albinism are feared and viewed with suspicion, while simultaneously considered to have mystical powers.
There is a misconception that their body parts can bring good luck, success, and easy wealth but on the other hand, they are believed to be a curse, bringing bad luck. In extreme (but not infrequent) cases, superstitions and traditional beliefs about albinism can lead to violent assault and murder. Body parts of those with albinism are used in witchcraft-related rituals that typically involve them being made into charms that are believed to bring wealth and good luck.
Attacks take different forms, such as forcibly shaving off hair, mutilation of fingers, limbs, ears, and genitalia, and murder. In sum, otherness poses a significant societal risk for people with albinism and a direct threat to their human rights.
Underpinning this are deep-rooted, culturally embedded beliefs about people with albinism that simultaneously hold them as enigmatic and frightening. To date, however, such beliefs have been understood largely through anecdotes, rather than empirical investigation.
Of available evidence, an early study by Braathen and Ingstadt in Malawi found a range of myths associated with albinism and the authors reported multiple problems experienced by people with albinism as a result.
Similarly, Baker and colleagues found that beliefs about people with albinism in South Africa and Zimbabwe had a profound influence on people’s life.
Their study showed how even when the genetic explanation for albinism is accepted, it runs parallel to existing beliefs. More recently, studies in Tanzania and South Africa have extended the evidence base regarding the mythology of albinism.
Importantly, they have highlighted its corollary; the endemic marginalization of people with albinism.
Overall, there is a small but growing body of research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa that has highlighted the impacts of beliefs about people with albinism on their lives. The research emanates from Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa as countries that have been the primary focal point of research.
The issue of albinism in most other African countries has largely been ignored in the academic literature or has only recently come to the fore, as is the case for example, with Uganda. Moreover, ways in which beliefs can be understood theoretically and philosophically remain under-developed.
This article reports on the findings of a qualitative study conducted in Uganda that addressed this gap in the evidence. The study was part of a larger project undertaken in Uganda and Tanzania that examined the stigma and fear surrounding albinism upon the education and life opportunities of children and young people directly affected by the condition.
Exploring perceptions and beliefs held about the condition formed an important part of the study because it enabled any misconceptions about albinism that lead to discrimination and harmful practices to be challenged.
As many as nine albinos were killed in Malawi in December 2014. According to Amnesty International, in 2019, But Amnesty International says that the Malawi government should be doing more, citing the case of Eunice Phiri, a 53-year-old woman with albinism whose body was found mutilated in January.
She had been tricked by three men, including her own brother, into accompanying them on a trip to a national park in Zambia. There they killed and dismembered her.
“The government must take urgent action to protect people with albinism and to address the root cause of the violence and discrimination they suffer,” said Deprose Muchena, the organization’s director for southern Africa.
“They must also take steps to ensure that superstitions and harmful cultural beliefs which fuel the attacks are tackled.”
While it has yet to be confirmed whether the seven men killed on Tuesday were indeed carrying human bones, Malawi’s police chief said that frustrated communities have started lashing out against perceived albino attackers.
In another attack, a month ago, a mob killed four elderly people in southern Malawi who were suspected of practicing witchcraft.
45 incidents against albinos were reported, including murders, attempted murders, abductions, attempted abductions, and digging up graves where people with albinism were buried.
Some in Malawi blame gangs dubbed “albino hunters” for a recent rise in incidents. The fear of attacks has led families to withdraw albino children from school, while others have moved from rural to urban areas for safety.
Malawi’s government has been holding awareness events, and last year launched an investigation into the root cause of a spate of albino killings, backed by the United Nations Children’s Fund. Police in Malawi has also been given the questionable instruction to shoot anyone caught attacking albinos.
