YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Geraldine Achiah, an elementary school teacher in her 30s, died barely two months into her marriage in September.
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Achiah → die → September
Her relatives allege her husband beat her over a marital dispute and demand justice in what they say is a gender-based crime.
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they → allege → justice
Her only child, Courage Abombi, 18, fondly remembers her support for his dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer.
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child → remember → engineer
“My mom died an unexpected and painful death,” said Abombi, who had to take a university entrance exam a day after his mother’s burial.
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who → die → burial
Achiah, who died in September, is one of nearly 70 women who were killed in Cameroon this year for reasons related to their gender, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs says.
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Ministry → die → Affairs
That’s up from government estimates of at least 50 in 2023 and 67 in 2024.
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That → ’ → 2024
The rise in such killings has sparked protests and calls for government action as many of the killings remain unsolved while others go unreported.
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others → spark → killings
Manfred Amambua, Achiah’s husband, has denied killing his wife, the police said.
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police → deny → wife
He has been charged with murder and is in jail awaiting trial.
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He → charge → trial
Femicide — the killing of women and girls for gender-related reasons — in Cameroon is mostly driven by economic dependence, unequal control over family property and lack of adequate laws in what’s widely viewed as a patriarchal society, activists say.
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activists → relate → society
The crisis reflects a global pattern with an estimated 50,000 women and girls killed by intimate partners or relatives in 2024, U.N. data shows.
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data → reflect → 2024
Femicide cases in Cameroon have reached a “cruel” and “alarming” proportion, Women’s Affairs Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa recently told the state broadcaster as she promised more action from the government.
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she → reach → government
“The current economic situation in the country is not helping matters.
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situation → help → 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 added.
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she → tend → marriages
Limited laws, justice system contribute to such killings
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laws → contribute → killings
At the root of the crisis is inadequate laws to punish offenders and a poor judicial system, activists say.
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activists → punish → offenders
While Cameroon’s Penal Code recognizes crimes such as rape, it does not have explicit laws or provisions on femicide, leaving judges to rely on general laws on harmful acts.
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it → recognize → acts
It is a common trend across many African countries where femicide is addressed through general homicide laws rather than expressly defining it as a distinct offense, although some have taken limited legal or policy steps that acknowledge femicide.
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that → address → femicide
The Cameroonian government is working on a new bill that would establish femicide as a standalone criminal offense while also strengthening broader protections against gender-based violence.
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that → work → violence
For rights groups and activists, that is only one of several hurdles to stop the killings.
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that → stop → killings
Cases can be delayed with different tactics, including intimidation, corruption and procedural mistakes that can reduce charges or even lead to acquittals, said Carole Grace Mbarga, a Cameroonian rights activist.
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Mbarga → delay → acquittals
“When investigations drag on, evidence deteriorates, witnesses lose confidence, and families become discouraged,” she said.
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she → drag → confidence
Even when convictions in such cases happen, the punishments are usually light and short of expectations, such as in 2025, when a man who pleaded guilty to killing his wife was handed a suspended five-year sentence and a fine of 52,000 CFA francs ($90).
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who → happen → francs
Family and friends recently gathered in Yaounde for the burial of Achiah, who had just married her husband in July.
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who → gather → July
Her relatives are grappling with the loss and told the AP they’re not only worried about justice for her, but also for other victims of femicide.
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they → grapple → femicide
“I pray that justice will follow its due course and that her killer will face the law,” Abombi said.
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Abombi → pray → law
The AP obtained hospital records that noted Achiah had “several bruises on her face and lips” before she died.
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she → obtain → face
Ndzana Bienvenu, an officer involved in investigating the case, said police gathered other evidence including phone footage of her and her husband after the alleged beating, as well as blood-stained bedsheet.
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police → involve → bedsheet
“We want justice for our daughter who died a violent death.
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who → want → death
This was a teacher who imparted knowledge on thousands of young Cameroonians,” said Regina Ngukum, Achiah’s cousin.
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Ngukum → impart → Cameroonians
Protests demand justice and government action
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Protests → demand → justice
Anti-femicide protests have been held in major cities in the country, including Douala and Yaounde, with thousands demanding more action from the government.
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thousands → hold → government
The proposed law against femicide is expected to be submitted to parliament for consideration in November.
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law → propose → November
But in addition to the law, systemic barriers and support for victims should also be addressed, said Laura Sen, one of the protest organizers.
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Sen → address → organizers
For many Cameroonian women who face violence at home, they often have to contend with hardship and stigma, especially when they already have children.
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they → face → children
In the case of Achiah, her child said he is praying for justice for her death and “that her killer will face the law.
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killer → say → law
“She keeps appearing to me in a dream, consoling me not to despair and that she is still with me,” he said.
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he → appear → me
The Aporia
