By Kizito Makoye
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania | 27 November 2024 (IDN) — A 17-year-old Adebi* recalls how her life changed forever after the war that tore through the walls of her house in Northwest Cameroon in 2019, leaving indelible scars in the way she never imagined.
“Some men broke in and raped me and my junior sisters,” she says
The brutality of that night did not end there. Adebi’s father was abducted, and it was days before he returned. “After the incident, we found ourselves in the hospital because we had been brutally beaten,” she says.
The family received medical treatment, but the scars ran deeper than physical injuries.
“The doctors took care of us and also advised us on what to do to reduce the traumatic experience,” she says.
Tragedy struck again when Adebi’s mother succumbed to the trauma inflicted upon them. “My mum passed on because of the torture we went through as a result of the attack,” she says.
With their lives shattered, Adebi and her family decided to leave their village, seeking a chance to rebuild in Badante.
Now, with her father as the sole breadwinner, Adebi describes the challenges they face. “He has been struggling to see how we can have a brighter future,” she explains. “It is hard and challenging for him as he has to fend for the family by himself, having lost our mother.”
The weight of responsibility rests heavily on his shoulders, and the family’s financial situation has forced them to make painful sacrifices.
“Because of this, we had to stop going to school,” Adebi complains. Once bright students, she and her siblings rely on their father’s meagre income for survival. “I hope that one day, I can continue with school again,” she says.
Adebi is currently pursuing computer studies, a passion that swerves from the mainstream curriculum, while her siblings remain out of school.
As a young woman in an unkind world, Adebi’s resilience shines through her hardships. “As young women and girls growing up, the government needs to watch over us,” she says. “When such circumstances happen, it is a lifetime challenge that causes pain every moment and is difficult to overcome.”
She calls for the government’s support to protect vulnerable individuals and provide resources for healing.
“If they can give any form of support to any women who have gone through such experiences, it will forever be appreciated,” Adebi says.
A Nation in Turmoil
Cameroon is a country besieged by conflict, grappling with the dual threats of Boko Haram attacks in the Far North and a secessionist insurgency in the Anglophone regions. Since September 2017, the violence has forced over one million people to flee their homes, while approximately 470,000 refugees have sought shelter within the country’s borders. The judicial system, already strained, faces significant challenges, including political interference, rampant corruption, and a lack of resources, all of which have eroded public trust and hindered accountability for perpetrators of violence.
The statistics surrounding gender-based violence in Cameroon are alarming. According to the UN Women global database, 37.3% of women experience lifetime physical and sexual intimate partner violence, with a prevalence rate of 21.5% reported in 2021. Child marriage remains a critical issue, affecting nearly 30% of young girls. Although there are national laws aimed at combating sexual violence, such as the Penal Code, that punish forced sexual relations, the implementation of these laws is cumbersome.
A narrow definition of rape complicates legal recourse; it is limited to instances where physical force is used against a woman or girl, excluding other forms of sexual violence. The ongoing conflict has rendered courts inaccessible, particularly in the northwest region, where lawlessness prevails. In these areas, sexual violence is rampant, perpetrated by both separatist fighters and military personnel, often with impunity. Survivors face challenges when seeking justice, including the financial burden of travelling long distances to towns where courts may still function.
Amid the violence and a faltering legal system, survivors like Adebi are stepping forward, their stories shedding light on personal struggles and exposing the systemic failures that fuel cycles of trauma and silence.
Rape is a widespread crime across Africa, with many survivors struggling to overcome its devastating aftermath. A new report by Equality Now—a global women’s rights charity dubbed, ‘Barriers to Justice: Rape in Africa, Law, Practice and Access to Justice, highlights the obstacles survivors face in seeking redress. The study points to weak criminalization, poor enforcement of laws, entrenched rape myths, and a pervasive culture of victim-blaming as significant factors that keep many cases from reaching the courtroom.
As a result, even fewer cases lead to convictions, leaving the majority of perpetrators unpunished and survivors vulnerable, stripped of the justice and support services they so desperately need. The report examines the legal landscape surrounding rape in 47 African countries, offering an in-depth analysis of nations such as Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, and Zambia.
Some jurisdictions have adopted progressive laws to tackle rape, but the journey toward justice remains fraught with challenges. Legal loopholes, procedural hurdles, and entrenched gender biases contribute to an environment where impunity often prevails. For survivors, the lack of trust in judicial systems deepens their anguish and discourages many from reporting sexual violence, perpetuating a cycle of silence.
Globally, 35% of women have experienced physical or sexual violence, whether from intimate partners or others. In Africa, the figures are similarly grim, with 33% of women reporting such violence at least once in their lives, according to UN Women. The situation is even more severe in parts of West, East, Central, and Southern Africa, where the rate soars to 44%.
The vulnerability of young girls
UNICEF highlights the vulnerability of young girls, estimating that 1 in every 20 girls aged 15 to 19 has experienced what is categorized as “forced sex” during their lifetime. This pervasive issue affects women and girls disproportionately, revealing a grim reality that spans the entire continent. The African Development Bank’s Gender Data Index from 2019 underscores the severity of the problem, reporting that the prevalence of intimate partner sexual or physical violence ranges from 10% to 40% across various countries in Africa.
In light of these challenges, Jean-Paul Murunga, a human rights lawyer and the report’s lead author, emphasizes the need for robust and comprehensive rape laws. “Having strong and comprehensive rape laws is critical to combating sexual and gender-based violence because it defines a government’s commitments and obligations to protect women and girls,” he says. He underscores that holding perpetrators fully accountable is essential, noting that when individuals are aware of serious legal consequences, it is a powerful deterrent against future offences.
Yet, Murunga insists that legislation alone is insufficient. “It must be paired with well-funded programs that educate communities, challenge harmful myths, and promote respect for women’s rights,” he explains.
He calls on governments to invest in public awareness campaigns to dispel stereotypes and harmful practices rooted in cultural or religious norms.
“Sexual violence survivors deserve a justice system that is fair, accessible, and unequivocally condemns all forms of sexual violence,” Murunga adds. “To ensure this, African governments must act now to dismantle legal and societal barriers that allow perpetrators to escape accountability. Without urgent reforms, the cycle of impunity will persist, and countless women and girls will remain unprotected.”
Murunga’s assertion further highlights the urgency of the situation that many African governments are failing to meet their obligations under regional and international frameworks designed to uphold and protect the human rights of women and girls. “Despite commitments to conventions such as the Maputo Protocol and CEDAW, significant gaps remain in legal protections against sexual violence,” he notes. “This failure leaves survivors of rape without access to justice and allows perpetrators to act with impunity.”
As these statistics illustrate, the fight against sexual violence is not just a legal issue but a pressing humanitarian crisis that demands urgent attention and action. The stories behind the numbers are often silenced, but they echo the resilience and strength of countless women and girls who navigate a world where violence is all too common. Murunga concludes, “States must ratify and domesticate international treaties, report regularly to treaty bodies, and implement their recommendations. Accountability is critical to advancing justice for survivors and preventing sexual violence in the future.” [IDN-InDepthNews]
Photo: Tanzanian soldiers convicted for gang rape heading to prison. Credit: Zuberi Mussa
