Alongside 13 other civil society organisations, including 2021 Laureate Marthe Wandou’s organisation Action Locale pour un Développement Participatif et Autogéré (ALDEPA), Right Livelihood published a report detailing women’s and girls’ rights in Cameroon. Submitted in light of the country’s fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on November 14, 2023, the report addresses remaining gaps in women’s and girls’ rights in crisis areas and includes key recommendations for Cameroon to progress towards gender equality.
Cameroon faces multiple ongoing security crises. Since 2014, Boko Haram has attacked civilians, hampered humanitarian projects and recruited civilians in the Far North region. In the Northwest and Southwest regions, the identity grievances contributing to the so-called “Anglophone crisis” have fed into separatist groups since 2016.
These crises are especially dangerous for Cameroon’s women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, gender-based violence, lack of access to education and the persistence of harmful traditional practices like child, early and forced marriages.
The difficult situation for women and girls persists despite the Cameroonian government’s efforts to prioritise gender equality. In 2019, the country ranked 141 out of 189 countries in the gender inequality index.
Right Livelihood and its partners recommend that Cameroon take several steps to address gender-related issues more effectively. Examples of such steps include providing comprehensive sexual education in schools, aligning child marriage legislation with international standards and ensuring women’s active participation in local governments and peace efforts.
You can read the full report or the summary factsheet below.
