There are an estimated 4,000 women and girls bound to various shrines in the trokosi system, a figure that does not include the slaves' children. Even when freed by her fetish priest from the more onerous aspects of her bondage, whether voluntarily or as a result of intervention by activists, a trokosi woman generally has few marketable skills and little hope of marriage and typically remains bound to the shrine for life by psychological and social pressure arising from a traditional belief that misfortune may befall a trokosi woman's family or village if she abandons her obligations to the shrine. When a fetish slave dies, her family is expected to replace her with another young girl, thus perpetuating the bondage to the fetish shrine from generation to generation. In June 1998, Parliament passed and the President signed legislation to ban the practice of trokosi in comprehensive legislation to protect women's and children's rights. Human rights activists believe that the goal of eradicating the trokosi practice is attainable with the new law.
Activists know the community leaders and fetish priests and thus know with whom to negotiate.
When the achievements of other organizations are included, approximately 1,300 slaves had been released by the end of June 1999. The followers of Trokosi claim this to be a religion, but the Government does not recognize it as such. Government employees, including the President, are required to take an oath on taking office. However, this oath can be either religious or secular depending on the wishes of the person taking the oath. The Government does take steps to promote interfaith understanding.