Cameroon has completely missed its own goal to cut gender-based violence in half by 2026, with broken government systems and deeply unfair laws continuing to leave millions of women completely unprotected.

A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlights that despite 15 years of promises from the government to curb domestic and economic abuse, weak enforcement and a fragmented justice system are actively blocking survivors from getting help. The numbers are staggering; nearly 40% of Cameroonian women have suffered physical, sexual, or psychological abuse, a figure that skyrockets to 64% in the country’s Centre Region.

Part of the problem is built right into the legal system. Cameroon’s Civil Code still legally names husbands as the sole “heads of household” and the primary controllers of marital property. This gives men the legal backing to block their wives from working, shut down their businesses, or seize their hard-earned money without any consequences.

Activists are calling on the state to stop dragging its feet and finally pass the comprehensive Family Code, which has been stuck in bureaucratic gridlock between ministries for over 20 years. Without it, and without a properly co-ordinated national support network, women will continue to have no safe way out of abusive situations.

–ChannelAfrica/HRW–