15/09/2026
THE RISING RATE OF FEMICIDE IN CAMEROON: HOW MANY MORE WOMEN MUST DIE?
A woman should not have to lose her life because she chose to leave a relationship. She should not be killed because she said “no.” She should not become a victim simply because someone believes he has the right to control her.
Yet, across Cameroon, stories of women losing their lives at the hands of intimate partners, former partners, or other perpetrators continue to shock families and communities.
Behind every woman who is killed is a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a colleague, or someone's wife. And behind every tragedy are children and families left to carry a pain they did not choose.
There is no single explanation for violence against women. However, dangerous attitudes surrounding control, jealousy, possessiveness, and male entitlement can contribute to deadly situations.
Some women experience years of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse before violence reaches its most tragic point. Others are threatened when they attempt to leave abusive relationships.
One of the most dangerous beliefs in our society is that a man's jealousy is proof of love.
It is not.
Controlling who a woman talks to, where she goes, what she wears, who she visits, or whether she can leave a relationship is not love. Threatening her is not love. Beating her is not love. And killing her is certainly not love.
I personally get offended when people call it a family matter. Killing a woman is not a family matter it is now a societal issue.
When a woman is being threatened or abused, telling her to “endure because of the children” can put her life at greater risk.
When neighbors hear screams and decide not to interfere, the violence may continue.
When relatives know that a woman is being abused but encourage her to remain silent to protect the family's reputation, the consequences can be devastating.
And when society waits until a woman is dead before taking her story seriously, we have failed her.
Domestic violence is not private when someone's life is in danger. Every woman should know when to leave an abusive partner, and also know how to protect yourself against your abuser. The red flags are always there but we keep ignoring them thinking they will change, no woman can change an adult.
Everyday I woke up with news of one or two women dead not by accident but by a man, why will a man take a woman's life? One man told me that if he gets married and his wife speaks to him rudely he will kill her and run to Nigeria, this is from someone who knows the law infact a uniform officer, are women toys to be handled anyhow??
We need stronger prevention, faster responses to threats, better protection for survivors, and accountability for perpetrators.
Families must teach boys from an early age that women are not possessions.
Churches, schools, community leaders, and traditional authorities must speak openly about gender-based violence.
Friends and relatives must learn to recognize warning signs and support victims rather than blame them.
And women experiencing violence should know that seeking help is not weakness.
Silence does not protect women. Silence protects perpetrators.
We must create communities where a woman can say, “I am afraid,” and someone listens.
Where a woman can leave an abusive relationship without being hunted down.
Where threats of violence are taken seriously before they become murder.
Where children grow up understanding that love means respect, not ownership.
HOW MANY MORE?
Every woman killed through gender-based violence leaves behind a question:
Could she have been protected?
Perhaps, in some cases, the answer is yes.
The goal should not simply be to mourn women after they are killed.
The goal must be to keep them alive.
Let us speak. Let us intervene responsibly. Let us support survivors. Let us hold perpetrators accountable.
Because every woman deserves to live without fear.
Enough is enough.
