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balikumat

Call to Action 2021: Gender-based violence against women with a focus on the Balikumbat Subdivision

Context

According to a study conducted in 2019 by The World Bank, it is estimated that 35% of all women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. This number is even higher in developing countries. In the local communities of the Balikumbat Subdivision (North West Cameroon), gender-based violence (GBV) is a prevalent issue that is yet to be properly addressed. During CAEPA interviews with female victims of GBV living in the Balikumbat Commune, all of the interviewees indicated that they had not received help ‘from anyone’ while suffering GBV, and in its aftermath. The consequences of GBV are wide-ranging, from economic deprivation, unwanted pregnancy and long-term psychological trauma and the reluctance of duty-bearers and policy-makers to take action against perpetrators demands a collective effort among multi-sectoral stakeholders to tackle violence against women and girls.

 

Goals

The Call to Action aims to bring policy-makers attention to the severity and scope of GBV in the Balikumbat community and to identify community partners to call for modifications to existing legislation regarding GBV perpetrators and victims and make policy recommendations to improve responses to GBV in the Balikumbat subdivision and the country as a whole.

 

Recommendations

In partnership with a range of local and international organizations, several recommendations are made. First, to allocate funding to CSOs and women’s rights organizations and to ensure access to economic empowerment programs and psychological support programs for victims including mental health counseling, pregnancy management related to GBV, spiritual support, networking with survivors, self-help therapy, etc. Additionally, support programs for vulnerable groups (e.g. the disabled, the elderly, ethnic minorities) should be increased. Access to or lobbying for new programs on GBV education for students should be prioritized alongside social campaigns, public weekly discussions, and seminars on GBV related topics. Furthermore, training for legal service providers on a prompt response and professional work ethics in GBV-related cases and for case managers to ensure efficiency in handling GBV cases in hospitals, churches, clinics, and community groups ought to be prioritized. Strict adherence to the legislation and legal enforcement of punishments against acts of GBV must be mandated, alongside an increase in the severity of punishment in cases where perpetrators are members of the police or government. Finally, census and regional data on GBV should be collated on a monthly basis so policy-makers can accurately assess the scope and prevalence of GBV in local communities.