Cameroon gender violence remains widespread because the government has failed to meet its decade-old pledge to reduce abuse against women and girls, Human Rights Watch said in a report.
The rights group said survivors face domestic violence, discrimination and limited access to protection or justice.
The 75-page report documented physical, psychological and economic abuse, mostly by husbands and intimate partners.
Human Rights Watch said the abuses were rooted in discriminatory laws, weak institutions and underinvestment in survivor support.
Juliana Nnoko, senior women’s rights adviser at Human Rights Watch, said Cameroon needed laws, policies and services that address domestic violence and support survivors.
The group interviewed 60 women between September and December 2024 in Maroua, Douala and Buea.
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Several women told researchers that authorities pressured them to reconcile with abusers or treated domestic violence as a family matter.
The report said Cameroon’s current family laws designate husbands as heads of household and primary managers of matrimonial property.
Human Rights Watch said a revised Family Code has remained in draft form for more than 20 years.
The group urged Cameroon to reform discriminatory family laws, adopt the Family Code and establish a coordinated national response to domestic violence.
