“Women, you know that women they are very easy to deceive … ” : understandings of women's role in witchcraft-related violence among community groups and social workers in southern Nigeria and handling of such violence.

Abstract: This study aims to explore how social workers and community groups in southern Nigeria understand and interpret women's roles in witchcraft related violence and the implications those views have on the handling of such violence. This topic is of relevance for social work since knowledge about this problem can increase the awareness of violence and its implications when meeting clients that are exposed to it.     The study was conducted with an ethnographical approach using a combination of participant observations, semi structured and un-structured forms of interviews’ and seven focus group discussions. Four of the focus groups consisted of social workers who work with empowerment and advocacy for women and girls in Edo-state. The other three were made up of locals in a suburb of Benin City. In this study, I used Clifford Geertz (1973) interpretive anthropology as a comprehensive theory in analysing the results and the theoretical concepts from Mann Huyng Hurs (2006) theory on stages of Empowerment; an existing social disturbance, Conscientizing, Mobilizing, Maximizing and creating a new order. The results of this study show that understandings and interpretations of women’s role in witchcraft-related violence by the participating social workers and community members influences their views on what is to be considered violence and who are to be considered victims. Their views also influence their containment strategies and approaches on how to handle this violence.