Gender Based Violence: How to Seek Help
Early Warning Signs : Sudden withdrawal from friends, family, or social life. – A visible shift in personality from confident to anxious, hyper vigilant, or withdrawn. – Unexplained bruises, especially on the arms, wrists, neck, or face, often covered up or explained away as accidents. – Visible fear of a partner’s reaction to being late, […]
Sudden withdrawal from friends, family, or social life.
– A visible shift in personality from confident to anxious, hyper vigilant, or withdrawn.
– Unexplained bruises, especially on the arms, wrists, neck, or face, often covered up or explained away as accidents.
– Visible fear of a partner’s reaction to being late, missing a call, or making a small mistake.
Experts urge that once a women is noticed to be in such situations, the first step is to speak to the victim privately and help her find support via a trusted relative, a religious leader, a specialized NGO, or a police / gendarmerie gender desk.
According to Barrister Edwan, women should not wait for physical violence before seeking help.“Threats, stalking, harassment, and intimidation can absolutely be reported before physical violence occurs.
Waiting for physical violence to occur is not required to seek protection or legal intervention.
Go to a police station, or a gendarmerie brigade or call for help using the till free numbers:
– Police: 117
– Gendarmerie: 113
– Ambulance/SAMU: 119
According Jean Roger Ndebi, “The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family also has departmental delegation and call centers with toll-free number: 1166. The Commission of Human Rights in Cameroon that can also help. They have toll-free numbers 11 and 13.
If you can’t call, experts suggest you make noises. Scream, alert neighbors, shame should never outweigh safety.
BUILDING A SAFETY PLAN
Legal experts also reiterate that there is no need to wait for physical violence.Under Article 301 of Cameroon’s Penal Code, threats alone can form the basis of a criminal complaint.
Under Article 308 of the Criminal Procedure Code, offenses can be established « by any means of proof » — meaning documented threats, messages, and witness accounts all matter.
WHERE TO SEEK HELP IN CAMEROON
Here are a list of some places experts say victims of abuse can turn to in Cameroon, Police gender desks and gendarmerie brigades, some stations now have units meant to handle GBV complaints with more confidentiality; both experts urge insisting on this if available.
Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, departmental delegations and social centers in most subdivisions, plus the Centre National de Promotion des Femmes in Yaoundé.
The One Stop Centre for Victims of Domestic Violence, under the same ministry (availability varies by region). National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms also runs toll-free reporting lines.
UN Women Cameroon — provides legal aid and temporary shelter support in some cases. Jean Roger Ndebi, Social Worker, also pointed to civil-society organizations that provide support to survivors. “Associative movement like Action for Welfare and Peace,” he said, adding that “many other NGOs are doing excellent work on the field.”
He also cited Women in Action and UN Women in Cameroon, which he said provide “lasting legal and temporary shelter.”
Cynthia Ibong Sabtala