This campaign was launched and implemented through a coalition of two prominent networks and one international NGO, recognizing that addressing such a critical and sensitive issue requires concerted and collaborative action to be effective. The coalition comprises:
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North West Association of Development Organisations (NWADO) – a network of civil society organizations in the North West Region
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Choose Life Generation International – an international NGO committed to human rights and child protection
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Alliance for Cameroon Youth Associations (AC-YA) – a youth-focused network with over 125 member organizations
The project, sponsored by UNICEF and the European Union, focuses on combating the normalization of rape and other forms of sexual violence against women and girls in 45 communities across Anglophone Cameroon.
As part of the campaign, community paralegals and local actors staged public protest campaigns in areas like Bamenda, raising awareness of the alarming rise in sexual violence due to the ongoing conflict. The armed conflict in the North West and South West regions has severely weakened policing, disrupted the operations of state institutions (such as the justice and social welfare departments), and fostered fear within communities. This has led to a dramatic increase in unreported and unpunished cases of sexual violence—perpetrated by armed separatists, military personnel, and civilians.
According to a report by Jess Craig for Al Jazeera, nearly 500 cases of rape and sexual or physical assault were documented between January and March of this year alone. Interviews with women across the regions revealed a deep-rooted fear of sexual assault. As noted in the report:
“Children and women are becoming more and more targeted,” said Esther Omam, a peace advocate based in Buea. “They are becoming the soft spot for this war.”
Nkongho Christy Ayuk, a gender-based violence case manager at Reach Out, explained that after nearly five years of low-level fighting, the regions have devolved into a state of lawlessness, where sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including rape, sexual assault, and abduction, has become a common occurrence.
The United Nations reported that in the same time frame, more than 500 additional cases of gender-based violence were documented. These included forced marriage, economic deprivation, and emotional abuse—adding to the growing humanitarian crisis in the conflict-affected regions.
