Cameroonians going through situations of Gender-based violence (GBV) have been once more encouraged to speak out and seek help from the available sources.
This call was made by several orators during a ceremony to observe the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and to launch the 18th edition of the global campaign, “16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women and Girls”, this 25th November 2024.
Though the international community is observing the day on the theme, “No Excuse! Unite to End Violence against Women and Girls”, Cameroon has coined its own theme into, “Responding and Rebuilding after the Abuse”.
Speaking to the assembly gathered on the esplanade of the Regional Council in Yaounde, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Marie Therese Abena Ondoa insisted that Cameroonians must focus on positive masculinity – getting men into the fight against Gender-based Violence.
The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Marie Therese Abena Ondoa, says we must focus on positive…
uo CRTVweb Info ʎq pəʇsod ʎɐpuoɯ, ɹəqɯəʌou 25, 2024
To corroborate her message, Jean Emmanuel Pondi, Rector of the ICT University frowns, “It is not acceptable that in 2024, men or boys take refuge in violence in their dealings with women.”
He encouraged lecturers to refer to their female students as their daughters and vice versa, in line with African traditional values so as to reduce the rate of violence within various milieus.
Another speaker, Leon Enama, emphasized on the need to organize sensitization and training sessions to guide men and women alike towards fighting and reporting Gender-based violence.
Cases of Femicides Sadly Gaining Grounds in Cameroon
By June 2023, over 30 women had died from Gender-based Violence in Cameroon.
Sadly, in 2024, the number seems to steadily increase with 67 women having been recorded as dying from Gender-based violence in 305 days in Cameroon.
Clarence Yongo of Griote TV revealed these statistics with pictures of some of the ladies who passed on after either intimate partner violence or other form of violence from a neighbour or male relative.
Près de 67 femmes ont été tuées en 305 jours au Cameroun. Les précisions de Clarence Yongo de “Griote TV”. C’était lors…
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The stories were heartbreaking to those present as they could only imagine the ordeal the women went through, leading to their death.
Clarence Yongo then presented statistics on the situation in Cameroon, indicating that majority of the femicides in 2024 occured in the Littoral Region, then the Centre Region and lastly, the South Region.
She also indicated that apart from partners killing their loved ones, cases of matricides, patricides, neighbours killing their female neighbours and women setting up the killing of their partners’ mistresses have also been recorded.
She adds that the statistics are for those cases which have been reported and investigated. Meaning, some cases do go silent and cannot be accounted for, unfortunately.
Government Efforts in Fighting GBV
In an effort to protect victims of GBV, the Ministries of Women’s Empowerment and the Family and Social Affairs are to be contacted in case of any issues before the person is referred to a health service.
Gender desks have also been set up in gendermaries and at police posts to hear out cases of GBV.
People could also call 116 for assistance for children and women.
Moreover, Cameroon’s Human Rights Commission could be reached on 1523 to report cases of GBV.
Bottle Necks to Reporting GBV
In spite of the numerous calls on women and girls to speak out against violence, many cases still go unpunished due to various reasons.
One of such reasons as highlighted by Clarence Yongo is corruption. Some cases are reported but the perpetrator of the violence is able to pay off those concerned with the case, leaving the victim helpless.
Long judicial procedures have also left some women to end up in the dragnet of their violent partner.
Moreover, the opinion of society has greatly influenced the reluctance of victims to report violent partners. Many women stay in violent relationships to safe their marriages or for their children, unfortunately.
Others, on the other hand, do report to their family and friends but end up being convinced to go back to their violent partners.
All these factors, gender activists say, need to be looked into, and victims of GBV need to be encouraged to speak out until they are listened to and rescued before they get to an untimely end.
Eleanor Ayuketah Ngochi
