Human Rights Watch (HRW) is pressing Cameroon to strengthen protections against gender-based violence after the government recorded 50 femicides in the first four months of 2026 and several women were killed in separate incidents in August.

In a publication dated August 28, 2026, Juliana Nnoko, senior researcher in HRW’s Women’s Rights Division, said the measures Cameroon has adopted have yet to translate into adequate protection for victims or effective access to justice. The organization cited several killings of women reported between August 6 and 26. Some were attributed to current or former partners and allegedly occurred in the presence of the victims’ children.

50 Cases Recorded Between January and April 2026

Government figures point to an increase in recorded cases. During a June 19 question-and-answer session at the National Assembly, Women’s Empowerment and the Family Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa said authorities had recorded 50 femicides between January and April 2026.

According to a Cameroon Tribune report published the same day, authorities recorded 56 cases in 2023, 67 in 2024 and about 77 in 2025. That represents an increase of roughly 37.5% between 2023 and 2025. The minister acknowledged, however, that the figures capture only a fraction of cases, due in part to low reporting rates, family pressure and the stigmatization of victims.

The statistics cover cases registered by authorities and should not be considered a comprehensive count. HRW also points to the absence of a complete, coordinated national data collection system, which makes it difficult to accurately measure the scale of domestic violence and femicides.

Two National Policies, but Legislation Is Still in the Works

Cameroon has a National Strategy to Combat Gender-Based Violence for 2022-2026 and a National Gender Policy covering 2022-2030.

In June 2026, Abena Ondoa also announced the finalization of a bill that would establish gender-based violence as a specific offense and strengthen legal protections for women. The sources reviewed by HRW, however, provided no timetable for submitting the legislation to Parliament.

The absence of a specific offense does not mean homicides or assaults committed in a domestic setting cannot be prosecuted. Such cases can be pursued under general provisions of Cameroon’s Penal Code. In a June 24, 2026 report, however, HRW argued that the existing framework, which focuses primarily on physical harm, does not adequately address psychological and economic abuse or coercive control.

The minister also told lawmakers that Cameroon had 45 “safe spaces” and women’s cohesion centers, 28 specialized units in police stations and gendarmerie brigades, and support platforms across all 10 regions. The report did not specify how many of those facilities provide residential accommodation for victims.

HRW, for its part, says Cameroon lacks a centralized, state-run network of shelters and a dedicated budget allocation for such facilities. The organization is calling for a task force that would include the ministries responsible for women’s affairs, justice, defense, territorial administration and finance, as well as national security authorities.

HRW also recommends increasing shelter capacity across all 10 regions, recruiting trained staff, making protection measures easier to access, and ensuring effective investigations and prosecutions of alleged perpetrators. Its publication, however, does not estimate how many additional shelter spaces would be required or how much the proposed measures would cost.

Source: Sbbc