Munteh Florence Chea, the Executive Director of the Association for the Promotion of Women’s Rights and Peace Building (AP-WORP), has called for stronger protection, better coordination and improved access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in the North-West Region.
The Clinical Councelor/Psychoterapist,
Womens Rights Advocate and Peace Builder made the call on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Bamenda during a regional dialogue on strengthening protection and accountability for GBV survivors.
Held under the theme “From Voices to Action,” the dialogue took place at the MINEPAT Hall, Upstation Bamenda, bringing together government officials, security and law-enforcement personnel, lawyers, civil society organisations, humanitarian and development partners, religious leaders, women and youth representatives.
The AP-WORP Executive Director said survivors need more than an opportunity to report violence. They also need access to immediate protection, safe accommodation, medical and post-rape care, psychosocial support, legal assistance, reliable referrals and proper follow-up.
“The dialogue allowed stakeholders to listen, examine gaps, take responsibility and identify practical actions,” Chea said.
She explained that the dialogue followed months of consultations with organizations working in protection, human rights, justice, women’s rights, peacebuilding and disability inclusion.
The consultations identified poor coordination, weak information sharing, limited case follow-up and dependence on short-term projects as some of the major challenges affecting survivors.
AP-WORP, the Women's Rights Advocate is therefore calling for clearer referral systems, defined institutional responsibilities and stronger cooperation between health, justice, security, protection and civil society actors.
Participants also examined barriers survivors face when seeking justice. Concerns were raised about alleged pressure from families on rape survivors to settle cases instead of pursuing legal action. Participants also discussed allegations of some law-enforcement officers failing to treat reports of abuse with the seriousness required.
Other concerns included allegations that some lawyers prioritise financial interests and reports that vulnerable survivors sometimes face significant costs when obtaining medico-legal certificates. These concerns were raised for discussion and were not presented as universal practices across all institutions or professionals.
The dialogue also shifted attention from simply asking survivors to “break the silence” to examining what institutions must do once a survivor reports violence.
AP-WORP stressed that reporting abuse should lead to protection, justice and healing, rather than further intimidation, financial hardship or institutional neglect.
Representing the Governor of the North-West Region, Marceliout Djunang, Head of the Economic, Social and Cultural Affairs Division at the Governor’s Office, commended AP-WORP for organizing the dialogue.
He reaffirmed the government’s responsibility to protect women and girls and encouraged civil society organisations to strengthen their areas of expertise and work more closely with state institutions.
The dialogue identified six priority areas requiring sustained attention namely protection, justice, accountability, reliable referrals, meaningful participation of women, and locally coordinated protection mechanisms.
The real measure of progress, according to AP-WORP Executive Director will be whether survivors can access timely protection, essential services and justice without having to navigate disconnected systems alone.
#Laarry Times
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