The deaths of at least eight women within a single week have provoked widespread anger in Cameroon, with activists and members of the public urging authorities to strengthen measures against violence targeting women.
Prominent footballer Nchout Njoya Ajara has joined the condemnation, describing the recent incidents as a “tragic wave” and demanding an end to attacks against women.
Government officials have likewise expressed alarm over the growing number of killings.
Official statistics indicate that at least 50 women lost their lives between January and April this year, compared with 77 recorded throughout the previous year.
The latest incident occurred on Tuesday in Yaoundé, where a 44-year-old woman was reportedly found dead in a hotel.
She is alleged to have been stabbed by a 22-year-old suspect, who was subsequently taken into custody.
Ajara said women should be able to live safely in their own country, warning that remaining silent in the face of the violence would amount to complicity.
The opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) has also criticised the situation, expressing shock at what it described as the repeated occurrence of killings involving women in domestic settings.
The party accused the authorities of failing to respond adequately.
Cases have emerged from various regions, with many of the deaths reportedly linked to violence within households.
Women’s Empowerment and the Family Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa has described the situation as alarming.
In remarks carried by state media, she said the administration was taking steps to tackle the problem.
She pointed to proposed legislation aimed at shielding women from gender-related violence, saying the draft law was currently under consideration by the prime minister.
However, women’s rights advocates and civil society organisations say the legislation has remained pending for too long and have criticised authorities for failing to enact it.
The next parliamentary sitting, scheduled for November, will be the final session of the year.
Viviane Tathi, whose organisation records femicide incidents nationwide, told the BBC she was uncertain whether lawmakers would approve the proposed legislation.
She said the November sitting would largely concentrate on financial and budgetary matters, raising doubts about whether there would be sufficient attention for the bill.
Tathi has also proposed establishing a dedicated judicial body to deal with family-related disputes, arguing that unresolved domestic conflicts can escalate into deadly violence.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong