On Saturday, August 31, 2024, YouthFORCE held a press conference with journalists from various media outlets in the region to unveil research findings on the prevalence of sexual violence and abortion rights in the North West, West, and South regions of Cameroon.
Civiclens spoke with Theresa Morfaw, founder of Youth for Change, to discuss the objectives of this important research. "The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sexual violence, particularly in conflict-affected areas, and to assess the rates of unsafe abortion among adolescent girls and young women who have experienced rape and are seeking family planning and abortion services," she explained.
The press conference took place at the Bamenda II Council premises, where several alarming revelations were made. Studies by YouthFORCE revealed a concerning prevalence of sexual violence and unsafe abortion among adolescent girls and young women. The findings highlighted the significant role of socioeconomic vulnerability, internal displacement-related factors, and limited access to healthcare in exacerbating these issues.
The research contributes to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the devastating impact of the Anglophone conflict on the physical, psychological, and social well-being of vulnerable adolescent girls and young women. The study emphasizes the urgent need for effective interventions to address both the causes and immediate consequences of sexual violence and unsafe abortions in crisis-affected regions.
In response to these findings, GirlFORCE, which has been proactive in this research, made several recommendations:
- Policymakers should enforce age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education at all levels of the educational system.
- Capacity-strengthening meetings should be organized with social workers and policymakers to facilitate access for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) advocates to communities, including churches and schools.
- Economic empowerment programs for girls and young women should be implemented.
- A partnership and referral system among stakeholders should be established.
- Therapy and counseling sessions for survivors should be made available.
- Policymakers should organize awareness-raising and sensitization campaigns.
- Free consultation services for survivors of sexual violence should be provided.
- Support groups should be created in churches, schools, and other community spaces.
- Safe spaces for survivors must be established.
- A sexual violence offender database should be created to track individuals proven guilty of sexual violence.
"We hope that our recommendations reach as many decision-makers nationwide as possible, including traditional leaders, religious leaders, parliamentarians, men, and other key stakeholders, so they can hear what these girls have to say and implement our recommendations in their roadmaps," said Theresa Morfaw.
By Bamenjo Petronilla