On December 18, 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It entered into force as an international treaty on September 3, 1981 after the twentieth country had ratified it. By the tenth anniversary of the Convention in 1989, almost one hundred nations have agreed to be bound by its provisions ^[1]. The existence of gender-based violence (GBV) has been recognized as an international public health and human rights issue. An estimated 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical or sexual harassment.

The world is experiencing health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and many factors can exacerbate the risks of experiencing GBV. In Cameroon, precisely in the two anglophone regions namely North-West and South-West regions, have faced a high level of militarization, displacement, scarcity of essential resources and given the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it has been a crucial call for concern in the area and has brought profound gender inequality and increased level of sexual harassment alongside with rape and economic abuse. The vulnerability of internally displaced people and the total restriction of movement or lockdown due to the virus have increased violence on women especially the girl child to an undesirable level. In addition, the internal and external displacements have increased the risk of physical and sexual abuses and exploitations especially for women and children who represent respectively 35% and 40% IDPs and refugees ^[2].

Unfortunately, while trying to cope the measures and sensitization on how to eradicate this social ill, appears the COVID-19 pandemic which is a virus that has brought the world on a standstill due to the negative effect it has brought on the populations. The social distancing and the lockdowns observed globally have opened and enhanced or unleashed gender-based

violence and domestic violence, where the victims are mostly women and girls. The abuse has increased while the fear of even seeking for help is a total hinderance since the mindset of the world at large is focused on the pandemic

Anita Bhatia, the Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Women tells TIME that “the very technique we are using to protect people from the virus can perversely impact victims of domestic violence.” She added that “while we absolutely support the need to follow these measures of social distancing and isolation, we also recognize that it provides an opportunity for abusers to demonstrate more violence than usual.” The figures, published on by the UNFPA and its partners Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University in the US and Victoria University in Australia, assume a 20% increase in violence during an average three-month lockdown in all 193 UN member states. The figures take into account the anticipated high levels of under-reported cases. Researchers expect 15 million additional cases of domestic violence for every three months that the lockdown is extended.

The severity of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on GBV in Cameroon at large is a call for concern and chain reaction whereby other arising ills such as a result of the political unrest, unemployment, financial instability and psychological instability have escalated. In the two anglophone regions in Cameroon, Dr Nsame Denise who is the Director of the Regional Health Hospital of Bamenda says “at least 33 cases of GBV are being registered at the Listening and Orientation Unit (LOU) per month, of which 60% is related to rape.” ^[1] He further says that “if this unacceptable abuse and practice continues like this then the globe at large will be at the mercy of irrecoverable psychological and emotional damages.”

The COVID-19 pandemic is greatly impacting the social aspects within the community. Amongst the the types of GBV, rape remains the most common of all and no doubt a devastating crime. Some women are badly injured, some become pregnant and others may contract HIV. But the emotional trauma can be worse than any physical injury. Women who are raped have nightmares, panic attacks, waves of self-doubt, an overwhelming sense of distrust. “The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on GBV will massively affect the population over a long period of time”, says Ms Awah Ndikum, a clinical psychologist.

Wirba Rashidatu hails from Bui Division in Cameroon. She has a degree in accounting and a master degree in quality management. However, she has developed an interest for issues related to women, girls and vulnerable people, especially around empowering and sensitizing about gender-based violence. She is an advocate for peace in the muslim-christian community.

 

Rashidatu considers herself as a multi-talented, self-discipled purpose driven and funny person.