HRW says Cameroon not doing enough to combat violence against women

In a new report published on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch said the government in Cameroon has failed to meet a decade-old commitment to reduce violence against women and girls.

The group said that faced with widespread abuse, this failure leaves the victims and survivors of violence exposed to harm without meaningful protection or access to justice.

"Social norms that justify and perpetuate violence against women" are partly to blame for the scourge, the report said.

HRW blamed entrenched systemic gender inequality, discriminatory laws, and weak institutions, exacerbated by chronic underinvestment in prevention and survivor support.

As a result, the rights group said victims often find themselves alone because of a lack of assistance and services, as well as corruption within police and public institutions.

According to government figures, 77 women were killed by their partners in Cameroon in 2024, but HRW said the actual number was probably much higher because many instances are not reported.

Most of the violent acts, it said, take place within the home and are often committed by husbands, partners, or male relatives.

The report found that economic factors also play a role.

Husbands control their wives' income after marriage, widows are often dispossessed of land and property rights, and inequality reigns when it comes to inheritance, it said.

In 2023, Cameroon ranked 148th out of 162 countries on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) gender inequality index.

This, HRW report said, reflects disparities between women and men in access to employment and education and reproductive health.

It has called on the government to urgently reform measures to protect women, including discriminatory family laws.

The group also said Cameroon needs to establish a coordinated national response to domestic violence, and ensure services are accessible across the country.