The state of Intimate Partner Violence in North West Region Cameroon

At the time when the World is facing the pandemic, Cameroon is fighting humanitarian crisis, pandemic and social-political disturbance at the same time. Among all the other problems, one issue which saw surge is Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV). For most people ‘safe’ is another word for ‘home’ but unfortunately for the major coterie of women and young girls of Cameroon it is otherwise; this vulnerable demography was already witnessing proliferation in SGBV from the very beginning but series of outbreaks has deteriorated the situation and has now taken up its worst shape. From the comprehensive SGBV wider concept, domestic/intimate partner violence is of particular concern. Domestic/intimate partner violence comprehends the following aspects: physical violence, psychological or emotional violence, sexual violence and economic violence. According to the WHO, intimate partner violence, not necessarily the same as domestic violence depending on the nature of the relationship, is one of the most common forms of violence against women.

Situation and Statistics

The Demographic and Health Survey and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (DHS- MICS 2011) conducted through interviews with over 15,000 women raised alarming results concerning women who are or have previously been in relationships. 45% of women interviewed had experienced emotional violence from their husband or partner in their lifetime while 68% of women interviewed had experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner. The multifaceted post-violence effects on survivors of domestic/intimate partner violence, including low self-esteem, fear, depression, post-traumatic distress disease (PTSD), stigma, and isolation, also tend to affect the livelihood and well-being of the entire household. If the mental and physical state of the women will be in a good shape that implies she can nurture the children and take care of the family more efficiently, or may even become economically independent which is a very important thing in this advancing era.

In April 2020, 298 women across different age groups were surveyed by The Community Agriculture and Environmental Protection Association (CAEPA) Cameroon and it unravels shocking findings, in the survey 75% (209) participants who are in a relationship reported that they’d been hit, threatened, slapped, or otherwise hurt by their intimate partner or ex-partner within the past year for reasons as petty as jealousy. In addition, 33% (6) of the survey participants who are not in a relationship reported having similar abusive experiences. Nevertheless, only 15% (34) of the surveyed women who are in a relationship presently indicated that they felt afraid of or threatened by their current relationship. The drastic gap between the number of women who have been abused and who actually felt afraid or threatened could be a reflection of violence normalized by the local culture.

The survey also reveals that women in the age group of 15-25 and 36–45 are more vulnerable to violence from their partners. Young female adults, because of their lack of experience and independence, could be more likely to stay in a volatile relationship. On the other hand, under the pressure from declining economic productivity, dulling marriage life, and worsening health conditions, middle-aged women tend to have a less stable family dynamic, and therefore more likely to be subjected to violence. In terms of the occupation-based difference in relationship violence, technicians, including tailors and hairdressers, the most vulnerable group, are almost 30% more likely to be victimized than those who take professional jobs like teaching and nursing, the most protected group.

Law is low

In Cameroon, there is no legislation addressing domestic violence. According to a statement submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women by the Advocates for Human Rights, survivors of domestic violence struggle with seeking security because currently the legal system does not protect women from abusers. Although assault is prohibited and punishable by imprisonment and fines, the law does not specifically prohibit domestic violence, neither addresses spousal rape. The legal system failing to protect survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence, combined with a lack of awareness of the severe physical and psychological consequences on survivors and a lack of systematic action to eliminate stereotypes and discrimination against women, make SGBV a challenging issue that requires mitigation urgently.

Its also notable to mention that in the aforementioned survey by CAEPA Cameroon, over 14 women said that their partners were under the influence of certain substances (alcohol, drug, etc.) when the violence happened and almost 30% of them attributed substance abuse as the direct cause to violence. Perhaps this needs to retrospect that at the policy level, it’d be beneficial to lobby for stricter control of alcohol and drugs as well as more severe penalty law for substance abuse.