Festival-- A traditional celebration often of several days duration, involving many rites of African Traditional Religion. During the festivals all trokosi, even those on temporary release, are called back to the shrines and are usually required to bring expensive offerings.
Fetish-- A term used in Ghana for the gods worshiped in traditional shrines, either the spirits themselves or the idols that represent them. These are not the High Creator God, but lesser gods who are believed to act as intermediaries and to direct activities of the immediate world around us. They frequently make their displeasure known by killing family members of those cursed at the shrine and by casting sicknesses on people. People consult them to find out hidden knowledge, to find out who may be causing them problems, for specific favors, or just for good luck. These favors often come only at the price of a virgin daughter of the family becoming a shrine slave.
Fetish priest-- A priest or priestess who worships and serves the gods of traditional shrines. The sexual organs of the priest are dedicated to the gods of the shrine, so when he forces himself on the trokosi girls, it is said that they are wives of the gods. Most, but not all priests are illiterate and uneducated.
Fetish shrine-- A shrine where spirits known as gods are worshiped, and where the gods are consulted through divination. Some of these shrines take in trokosi as shrine slaves.
Fetish slavery-- A form of involuntary ritual servitude known as trokosi in which women or girls, usually young virgins, are forced to work without pay for the priests and to serve them sexually. Usually education is denied or interrupted and punishment is harsh. It is believed that by this means, an atonement is made for some specific crime, real or alleged. Some claim that this atonement can never be completed and must be carried on until the end of time.
Fiashidi-- Another name for trokosi slavery or ritual servitude.
FIDA-- Federation of Women Lawyers, supportive of liberating the trokosi and abolishing the practice.
Fon-- A tribal group and a language of Benin, related to the Ewe of Ghana and Togo. The practice of trokosi is strong there, where is it called voodoosi.
Freedom of religion-- A right guaranteed to all Ghanaian citizens under the Constitution, but denied in reality to girls who are forced to become trokosi in traditional shrines. There the girls are compelled to worship idols, often against their will, and are severely punished if they refuse.
Human rights violations--Charges of human rights violations have been levied against trokosi shrines and the trokosi system by NGO's and by survivors of the practice of trokosi. Documented violations include rape, forced labor without remuneration, cruel and inhuman punishments, forced confinement, denial of proper clothing, denial of education, denial of medical treatment, and denial of religious freedom.
Idolatry-- The practice of worshiping and serving any object or being other than the Creator God. The practice of making images to represent spirits other than the Creator God. Idolatry is forbidden in Christian teaching as well as in Islam. Christians teach that idolatry is wrong because any spirit that accept worship is evil and deceptive--a demon, not a servant of God, and because God alone is worthy of worship and is also able and willing to help His creatures. Idolatry has frequently shown itself to be destructive and enslaving. Well-known examples of this are the Devadasis in the Hindu religion of India, the Restavecs in Haiti and the trokosi and voodoosi shrine slaves of West Africa.
Initiation-- A ceremony or ritual which introduces a woman or girl into her life as a trokosi slave and binds her spiritually to the shrine. Many trokosi find the initiation humiliating, because they are frequently required to parade naked around the village.
International Needs (IN)-- An NGO that has been very active in liberating the trokosi. IN also operates the Adidome Vocational Training Center to help rehabilitate trokosi after liberation.
Involuntary servitude-- Slavery, or forcing someone to serve another without observing their basic human rights and without compensation. Trokosi is a form of involuntary servitude because the consent of the girls is virtually never sought.
Lesser gods-- Spirits or gods served in traditional shrines, idols, spirits in contrast to the High Creator God. Christians and traditionalists agree that these spirits, like all things, were created by God and are subject to Him. They are powerful but far less powerful than the Creator. Those in traditional religion fear and worship the lesser gods and a few traditionalists even argue that these gods are good. Christians believe that the lesser gods are spirits created by the God the Creator the Almighty, but that some of them have rebelled against His authority so they no longer serve and worship Him, but go out to deceive and destroy humankind, taking worship to themselves that rightfully belongs to the Creator. Christians therefore believe the lesser gods are evil. This belief seems to be validated by the reports shrine slaves have given of life in the shrines, and even by the fact that the lesser gods ostensibly require the practice of trokosi.
Liberation, Liberation of trokosi, Trokosi liberation-- The act of freeing trokosi slaves, rehabilitating them and returning them to society to live normal and productive lives. Liberation involves a written agreement between the shrine, the community, and usually, some NGO mediating body and is performed in public. Liberation also involves an agreement to end slavery in that place and never again to take in human beings as sacrifices.
Liberation certificates-- Certificates often given to former trokosi following liberation, to show and guarantee to them, their families and the public that they are now free.
Liberation documents-- Official legal papers or covenant agreements signed by shrine owners and priests on one hand, and by NGO's and public officials on the other hand, to document their agreement to end the practice of trokosi or ritual servitude at a particular shrine and to free all the shrine slaves.
Modern slave belt of West Africa-- A strip of the southern portions of Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria, where in the year 2008 slavery is still practiced in the form of ritual servitude in traditional shrines.
NGO-- Non-governmental organization, usually public charities, religious or humanitarian groups that carry out projects of development for the benefit of society. Several NGO's have been interested in the trokosi project because the practice of trokosi violates religious freedom as well as basic human rights. Others are interested because the practice impedes the education and progress of girls and women in their communities.
