The Chief Executive Officer of Favour Health Foundation, Fanny Bessem, has called for urgent action to tackle violence against women and the growing number of reported femicide cases in Cameroon.
The CEO of the Buea-based non-governmental organization made the call in a statement on Friday, August 28, 2026, titled “Femicide in Cameroon: Is This the New Face of Manhood? ”.
Her statement was necessitated following a series of killings of women across the country in recent weeks. She says the cases should not be treated as isolated incidents, arguing that many involve domestic violence, intimate partners, jealousy, rejection, and attempts to control women.
For the women's rights activists, the pattern raises a difficult question about how masculinity is understood and expressed in society. “Real manhood protects; it does not punish. It listens; it does not silence,” she says.
Figures cited by Bessem from government sources indicate that reported femicide cases increased from about 56 in 2023 to 77 in 2025, with 50 cases reportedly recorded during the first four months of 2026.
She warns that the actual scale of the problem could be higher because many cases of violence against women remain unreported or poorly documented.
She called for stronger legal and institutional measures, including clearer recognition of gender-motivated killings, faster handling of gender-based violence cases, and a reliable national database for tracking femicide.
She also solicited a greater investment in shelters, emergency support, domestic violence hotlines, and specialized law enforcement units, insisting that authorities should pay greater attention to previous threats and reports of abuse, particularly where such warnings could help prevent a fatal attack.
The FHF CEO equally called on traditional and religious leaders to speak openly against domestic violence and urged communities to stop treating abuse as a private family matter.
For young men, Bessem advocated for mentorship and safe spaces where issues such as anger, rejection, and jealousy can be addressed without resorting to violence.
At Favour Health Foundation, she said the organization will strengthen gender-based violence awareness through its community health programs, train volunteers to recognize warning signs, and work with community leaders in Buea and beyond.
“Femicide is not a women’s issue for women to solve. It is a societal failure that demands men, government, and community leaders act together,” Bessem says.
She argued that Cameroon must move beyond shock and condemnation and take practical steps to prevent further deaths. “Every statistic was a name, a family, a future,” she says.
@Laarry Times
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