The National Human Rights Commission, through its president Prof. James Mouangue Kobila, expresses concern about recurring acts that weaken the family foundation by infringing on the rights of women and children in Cameroon and Africa.
The situation of the family in general and that of women and children in particular worries the National Human Rights Commission of Cameroon. In a statement made public on the occasion of International Family Day celebrated on May 15, the commission expresses its “deep concerns about the recurrence and extreme seriousness of violations of rights related to marriage and parenting as well as the urgency of the responses they call for.”
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It notes the worsening, nature, intensity, and consequences of domestic violence, emphasizing physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence suffered by women and children. According to the institution, the situation is becoming alarming due to the increase in sexual violence against minors, infanticides, femicides, and extremely brutal acts of domestic violence.
The commission also expresses concern about the “fragmentation of family structures” caused by forced population displacements, irregular, risky, or disorderly migrations abroad, and rural exodus.
At the African continental level, the NHRC recalls that hundreds of millions of children live in contexts marked by armed conflicts. Vulnerabilities are further aggravated in situations of forced or irregular migrations along migratory routes. On these paths, children are exposed to violence, trafficking, exploitation, and the most abject abuses.
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Among these acts that weaken families, the commission includes corruption. According to the institution, it constitutes a systematic obstacle to the realization of family rights, the consolidation of social dialogue, and the promotion of harmonious coexistence within Cameroonian families. It limits equitable access to basic social services and diverts resources intended for the protection and support of families.
Against these various acts that harm family cohesion, the commission takes action. It first recalls that the family benefits from legal protection within the international and national framework. Instruments such as the Cameroonian Constitution protect it and must be respected. Hence the promotion and protection actions of rights related to marriage and parenting that it carries out through coordinated interventions.
The commission thus speaks on the occasion of International Family Day celebrated on May 15, 2026, under the theme “Families, inequalities, and children’s well-being.”
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