Through the inception phase of our programme, we learned that traditional and
religious leaders were key in shaping community attitudes towards disability and
mental health. Studies on mental health services confirmed that traditional and faithbased healers can be the first port of call for many people seeking mental healthcare.
Our programme work therefore encouraged engagement with traditional and religious
leaders and, at times, faith-based or traditional healers, through the grants we
allocated over the lifetime of the programme.
Why this is important
Traditional and religious leaders are respected and listened to in their community.
They play an important role in facilitating positive culture in their communities. When
people see leaders they respect raising concerns about stereotyping, stigmatising,
and discriminatory behaviour, people will in turn consider their own attitudes and
begin to change them. These leaders are therefore important for challenging and
changing social norms and attitudes.
Traditional and religious leaders also have relationships and resources that can be
used to engage with community members. We learned that when key community
actors are involved in programme activities, results are achieved more quickly.
How we engaged with traditional and
religious leaders
Grants
We allocated grants to organisations to implement advocacy, along with social
and behaviour change interventions in their districts over one to three years. The
interventions strengthened community support systems like families, traditional and
religious leaders, community leaders and healthcare providers to provide effective
support to people with disabilities, including people with mental health conditions.
Grantees engaged with traditional and religious leaders through frequent direct
consultations; and by involving them in the design and delivery of stigma-reduction
activities, such as selecting inclusion ambassadors. This sustained and reinforced their
commitment to projects in their areas.
During our Legacy and Sustainability grants, a peer-sharing session allowed grantees to
discuss the lessons of working with traditional and religious leaders. This ensured that
knowledge was passed on between civil society groups.
Evidence into action
One grantee used research to evidence to traditional leaders the harm of accusations
of witchcraft and the need for improved conditions in camps for women accused of
witchcraft. As a result of continued advocacy and awareness campaigns, traditional
authorities have positively responded to calls to end violence against women accused of
witchcraft. This created a more supportive culture for legislation outlawing discrimination.
Behaviour change strategy
We created a behaviour change strategy that specifically identified and targeted key
people in the community, including traditional authorities and religious leaders. Activities
were created that engaged them to positively change social and cultural attitudes and
reduce negative stereotyping.
We funded work to collate positive disability terminologies, which went through a
validation process, including sharing terms with local language experts and traditional
and religious leaders, for their feedback and input. Positive language guides were then
produced and adopted in ten local languages. Those same leaders can now lead on the
use of that new language in everyday life, and help reduce stigma.
In areas where we funded grants, there is now improved involvement in decision-making
at the family and community levels. One grant recipient reported a reduction in negative
language being used by community members in the areas where they worked.
Leading by example
Traditional and religious leaders who have been involved in our programme or
grantee projects now take actions to include people with disabilities and people with
mental health conditions in leadership positions and community life. For example,
after consultation with traditional and religious leaders in Kpassa, the Chief Imam’s
representative, who was present at our grantee’s meeting, agreed to the mosque being
used as a venue where they could raise awareness on disability issues.
Traditional leaders have also enacted sanctions at the community level and district
assemblies have enacted by-laws in grantee operational areas to promote positive
language and reduce stigma. Approximately 20 communities have put in place some
form of sanction for people who use derogatory language or negative behaviours
against any person with a disability, including people with mental health conditions, in
their community. One community set a fine of 500.00 Cedi (GBP 30) and others had
specific consumables as punitive measures for anyone who abuses a person with
disability or mental health condition.
Additionally, across 20 project communities, there are now 30 people with disabilities
holding community leadership positions including in school management, the community
water board, community development and planning committees.
Resources produced on this topic
- Evidence and Effectiveness Grants Evaluation Summary: Large Grantees
Films featuring our grantees’ change stories
: Empowering Local Communities: Leveraging Grants to Drive Sustainabl
Behaviour Change Interventions , August 2024- Films featuring our grantees’ change stories
- Example language guide, Positive Disability Terminologies Development by VOICE
Ghana, June 2022
