'Silence is complicity' - top footballer hits out over Cameroon femicides
The killing of at least eight women in a week has sparked outrage in Cameroon.
Cameroon is grappling with a surge in femicides, prompting condemnation from high-profile figures. Notable footballer Nchout Njoya Ajara has vehemently stated that "silence is complicity" in the face of the escalating crisis. Between January and April 2023, at least 50 women lost their lives, a stark contrast to 77 fatalities in the previous year, according to official records.
The latest victim was a 44-year-old killed in Yaoundé, allegedly by a 22-year-old who has since been apprehended. Ajara, a revered Cameroonian female footballer who has played in Europe and Asia, emphasized that being a woman in Cameroon should not be a perilous endeavor. The opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party has also voiced its outrage, accusing the government of inaction.
The minister for Women's Empowerment and the Family, Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, acknowledged the rising tide of femicides and mentioned a pending bill to combat gender-based violence. However, civil society groups remain skeptical about the bill's progression from draft to law. The parliamentary session responsible for the bill's review is slated for November, but doubt lingers due to the session's focus on budgetary matters.
Civil rights activist Viviane Tathi has called for a specialized court to handle family disputes that lead to domestic violence.
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