Nearly 70 Women Killed This Year for Gender-Related Reasons, and a Penal Code That Does Not Name the Offense
The day after he buried his mother, Courage Abombi sat a university entrance exam. He is 18 and wants to be a mechanical engineer, a dream his mother, Geraldine Achiah, supported. Achiah, an elementary school teacher in her thirties, had married in July. By September, she was dead, barely two months into the marriage. Her relatives allege that her husband beat her to death. “My mom died an unexpected and painful death,” her son said.
Her husband, Manfred Amambua, has denied killing her, police said. He has been charged with murder and is in jail awaiting trial. Hospital records seen by reporters noted that Achiah had “several bruises on her face and lips” before she died. Ndzana Bienvenu, an officer involved in the investigation, said police had gathered other evidence, including phone footage of the couple after the alleged beating and a blood-stained bedsheet. The case has not been tested in court, and the husband is presumed innocent until it is.
A Rising Count
Achiah is one of nearly 70 women killed in Cameroon this year for reasons related to their gender, according to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Government estimates put the figure at least 50 in 2023 and 67 in 2024, so this year’s count is already close to or above last year’s, with more than two months still to go. Many killings remain unsolved, and others are never reported, which means the official count is likely to be a floor rather than a full picture.
Women’s Affairs Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa has described the situation as reaching “cruel” and “alarming” proportions and promised more government action. She pointed to economics. “The current economic situation in the country is not helping matters. With limited resources, many women tend to endure violence in their marriages, hoping that their men will change, which is not usually the case,” she said. Activists list the same drivers: economic dependence, unequal control over family property, and inadequate laws, in what is widely seen as a patriarchal society. Cameroon is part of a global pattern: United Nations data estimate that about 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or relatives worldwide in 2024.
A Gap in the Law
At the heart of the protests is a legal gap. Cameroon’s Penal Code recognizes crimes such as rape but has no explicit offense of femicide, the killing of women and girls for gender-related reasons. Judges must fall back on general laws on harm and homicide. That is common across much of Africa, where femicide is usually prosecuted as ordinary homicide, although some countries have taken limited legal or policy steps to recognize it.
The government is drafting a bill that would make femicide a standalone criminal offense and strengthen wider protections against gender-based violence. It is expected to go to parliament in November. A distinct offense matters for more than symbolism. It allows the state to count these killings properly, to set sentences that reflect the gender motive, and to train police and prosecutors to look for the patterns of control and abuse that often come before a killing.
When Justice Drags
Rights groups warn that a new law is only one hurdle. Carole Grace Mbarga, a Cameroonian rights activist, said cases are delayed by intimidation, corruption, and procedural mistakes that can reduce charges or even lead to acquittals. “When investigations drag on, evidence deteriorates, witnesses lose confidence, and families become discouraged,” she said. Even convictions can disappoint. In 2025, a man who pleaded guilty to killing his wife received a suspended five-year sentence and a fine of 52,000 CFA francs, about $90.
A sentence like that tells every woman in an abusive marriage how much her life is worth in the eyes of the system. It also tells abusers what they risk. Changing that message requires faster investigations, protection for witnesses and families, and judges willing to treat the killing of a partner as the grave crime it is.
The Streets Speak
Thousands of people have joined anti-femicide protests in major cities, including Douala and Yaoundé, demanding action. Laura Sen, one of the organizers, said that alongside the new law, the government must tackle systemic barriers and support victims. Many women who face violence at home also face hardship and stigma if they leave, especially when they have children, which keeps them in danger. Shelters, legal aid and economic support are as much part of prevention as prosecution.
Family and friends gathered in Yaoundé for Achiah’s burial. Her cousin, Regina Ngukum, spoke for the family. “We want justice for our daughter who died a violent death. This was a teacher who imparted knowledge to thousands of young Cameroonians,” she said. Her relatives say they are worried not only about her case but about every other victim.
Closing: Naming the Crime Is Where Protection Begins
A state that does not name a crime cannot fully count it, prosecute it, or prevent it. Cameroon’s draft femicide law is a chance to close that gap, and the protests show that the public will not accept another year in which the toll rises unchecked. Passing the bill in November would be a start; funding the investigators, courts and shelters that make it real would be the test. Self-determination for a society also means the freedom of its women to live without fear in their own homes. For Courage Abombi, the hope is simpler. He is praying, he said, “that her killer will face the law.”
