CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a problem of growing concern shown by a continuous rise in its incidence and prevalence worldwide, affecting one in three women in their lifetime (World Bank, 2019). The United Nations Women (UN Women) defines GBV as harmful acts directed on an individual or a group of individuals based on their gender. It is rooted in gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms and primarily used to underscore the fact that structural, gender-based power differentials place women and girls at risk for multiple forms of violence. While women and girls suffer disproportionately from GBV, men and boys can also be targeted. The major types of GBV are physical, sexual, emotional and psychological violence with common examples being domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse and sexual harassment, emotional abuse. GBV can manifest in various forms such as Violence Against Women and Girls as well as Harmful Traditional Practices.

Gender based violence directed towards women and girls is regarded as Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). UN Women also define Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)as an act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life. Across the world, violence against women and girls remains one of the most serious and the most tolerated human rights violations, both a cause and a consequence of gender inequality and discrimination. VAWG encompasses but is not limited to, physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family or within the general community, and perpetrated or condoned by the state. Examples of VAWG include rape, child marriage, early/forced marriage, sexual harassment, breast ironing, harmful widowhood practices, power differentials and more.

Breast ironing is a harmful traditional practice which affects women in all 10 regions of Cameroon, and predominantly in the littoral region with 53% of cases (Rosaline, 2011). The practice is less common in the North of Cameroon (7%) which could be attributed to the religious background as the region is predominantly Muslims (Kheir et al, 2011). However, regardless of location, religion, or ethnicity, the risk of undergoing breast ironing doubles amongst girls who show signs of puberty before the age of nine.

Globally, 7% of women have been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner and, as many as 38% of murders of women are committed by an intimate partner (World Bank, 2019). Almost 18% of women and girls aged 15–49 years who have ever been in a relationship have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the previous 12 months (United Nations, 2018). Moreover, 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence. In 2017, 87,000 women were intentionally killed with the majority committed by an intimate partner or a family member (UN Women, 2020). Despite the high prevalence of the different forms of GBV on women, less than 40% report it. Most of those who do, seek help from a family or a friend; less than 10% of women who seek help go to the police (UN Women, 2020). Many studies have shown that children growing up with violence are more likely to become perpetrators of violence in the future or survivors of GBV.

Since 2016 with the advent of the Anglophone crisis, there has been an increase in the prevalence of GBV in the affected area. This has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide and Cameroon. This has been as a result of the confinement which caused men and women to stay together more often than before thereby increasing tendencies of violence. With half the world under lockdown as governments’ response to COVID-19, GBV increased significantly (UN Women, 2020). COVID-19 confinement has fostered violence against women and girls in Cameroon especially in the home settings (Khachatryan et al., 2017). The intersection of marginalization and discrimination made certain groups of women more susceptible to GBV and COVID-19 pandemics. The social and economic stress brought by COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing toxic social norms and gender inequality. At the time when half of the world population was in lockdown due to COVID-19, the number of women and girls between ages of 15 and 49 who had been subjected to sexual and/or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner (GBV) was no less than 243 million (UN Women, 2020). Many countries from developing and developed economies reported an escalation of GBV during the lockdown; France reported an increase of 30% of domestic violence cases since the lockdown on March 17; Cyprus and Singapore reported an increase in helpline calls by 30% and 33%, respectively, in Argentina emergency calls for domestic violence cases increased by 25% since the beginning of the lockdown; in Canada, Germany, Spain, the UK and the USA, government authorities, women’s rights activists and civil society partners have indicated increasing reports of domestic violence during the crisis, and/or increased demand for emergency shelter (UN Women, 2020).

The consequences of GBV whether against women or men are very escalating. The impact of GBV goes beyond the suffering of survivors and their families, and it is estimated that the cost to the economy can go up to 3.7% of some countries’ GDP (World Bank, 2019). It affects girls and women’s self-esteem and prevents them from realizing their full rights as human beings and as equal citizens. Violence against girls and women undermines countries’ achievements of at least the first six of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (Solotaroff et al, 2014). Women and girls experience violence in a variety of different contexts, within family, the community and broader society. Advancement in technology has added cyber violence against women as another channel for GBV.

The effects of Gender-Based Violence have negatively impacted the society and has been included in the SDG No 5. This SDG is aimed at achieving gender equality by ending all forms of discrimination, violence and any harmful practice against women and girls while ensuring full participation of women and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of political and economic decision making by 2030. The achievement of this goal goes with involving all stakeholders including civil society organizations (CSOs). A CSO or an NGO is any non-profit, voluntary citizen’s group which is organized on a local, national or international level and task oriented and driven by people with a common interest. CSOs perform variety of services and humanitarian functions, bring citizens’ concerns to governments, monitor policies and encourage political participation at community level. Typically, they are organized around specific issues such as UN pillars of peace and security, human rights and development (United Nations). They can also be regarded as non-state, not-for-profit, voluntary entities formed by people in the social sphere that are separate from the state and the market. They can include CBOs as well as NGOs. These organizations over the years have played a great role in the fight against GBV in all societies. This can be observed through the creation of a network for the fight against GBV in the Northwest Region of Cameroon with all CSOs working on GBV being part of the network.

It is for this reason that the research was carried out to look at the role of these CSOs over the years and now in the fight against rising GBV/VAWG in Ngoketunjia and Mezam division of the North West region of Cameroon.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The World Health Organization report in November 2017 affirmed that violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of women human rights. The WHO estimates shows that 1 in 3 women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Also, the UN women, (2019) noted that globally, 49% of human trafficking victims are women and are used for sexual exploitation. The World Bank, (2019), estimated that about 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate violence or non-partner sexual violence. Globally, 243 million women and girls aged 15-49 have been subjected to sexual and/ or physical violence perpetrated by an intimate partner in the previous 12months and 87000 women were intentionally killed in 2017 and the majority were committed by an intimated partner or family member of the victim (UN, 2020).

While 11.4% of girls under 15 and 36% of girls aged 18 are married in Cameroon, the crisis in the different regions has led to an increase in this phenomenon (Khachatryan et al., 2017). In the North, South West and North West, men are more likely to face arbitrary arrests, beatings, torture and extrajudicial executions. They are also at greater risk of being targeted by armed attacks and are more at risk of injury or death directly related to the conflict. This is an indication that girls, boys, women and men are distinctly affected by the violation of their rights in the Southwest and Northwest regions of Cameroon. GBV have a lot of escalating consequences varying from psychological issues like trauma, depression; physical consequences on the survivors like physical harm, fistula, infertility and more, it also has health issues like unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmissible diseases and societal consequences like stigmatization.

Over the years, CSOs have been actively involved in fighting GBV/VAWG.  A Referral Pathway by the GBV Sub-Cluster SW/NW as of May 2021 over 50 CSOs both internationally and nationally who are offering responses to humanitarian assistance especially GBV in the NW/SW. Despite the involvement of these CSOs the crisis and COVID 19 has led to an increase in cases of GBV in these two Divisions.

1.3 Research Questions

This study seeks to answer the following questions:

1. What roles do CSOs working in Mezam and Ngoketunjia Divisions play in the fight against GBV in these areas?
2. What challenges do CSOs working in Mezam and Ngoketunjia face in the fight against GBV.

• How do these challenges affect their response to GBV?

1. What factors contribute to the rising prevalence of GBV/VAWG despite the involvement of CSOs?

1.4 Objectives

The research objectives of this study are divided in two parts that is main and specific objectives

1.4.1 Main Objective

To determine the roles of CSOs working on GBV in Mezam and Ngoketunjia Divisions of Cameroon and why these forms of violence persist despite their involvement in the fight.

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

1. Challenges CSOs face in the fight against GBV in Mezam and Ngoketunjia Divisions.
2. To determine how these challenges affect their response to GBV in these areas.

• To determine the factors contributing to the rising prevalence of GBV despite the involvement of CSOs