A National Dialogue Requiring a Multidisciplinary Response
The conference recognised that femicide cannot be addressed solely as an isolated criminal-justice issue. Its prevention requires coordinated intervention across the legal, social, institutional, educational and community spheres.
Participants included representatives of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Ministry of Territorial Administration, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Justice, UNESCO, the Embassy of France, the Cameroon Bar Association, as well as numerous civil society organisations and other stakeholders working on women’s rights and the prevention of gender-based violence.
The broad institutional representation underscored the need for a coordinated national response in which prevention, early intervention, access to justice, victim protection and accountability operate together.
This multi-sector approach is particularly significant in light of the growing national and international attention to violence against women and girls in Cameroon. In June 2026, the United Nations System in Cameroon publicly expressed concern about recent cases of femicide and other forms of violence and called for strengthened prevention, reporting mechanisms and access to health, psychosocial and judicial services. It also highlighted the importance of strengthening institutional and legal responses.
The Cameroon Bar Association’s Contribution
Barrister Sirri Assumpta attended the conference as part of the team representing the Cameroon Bar Association. Her participation formed part of the Bar’s contribution to the discussions surrounding the prevention of femicide and the strengthening of the legal and institutional response to violence against women.
The Cameroon Bar Association’s representation provided an important legal perspective to the conference, particularly on the role of the justice system, the protection of victims and survivors, access to legal remedies, institutional accountability and the need for effective implementation of existing legal safeguards.
The Bar Association’s delegation also presented its proposals and recommendations and expressed its support for the adoption of the Yaoundé Declaration on Femicide, reflecting the legal profession’s engagement in the broader national conversation on preventing and responding to femicide.
From Recognition to Prevention and Action
The central message of the conference — “Reconnaître les causes, prévenir, agir” — is particularly important from a legal perspective. Preventing femicide requires more than responding after a woman has lost her life. It requires identifying patterns of violence and risk at an earlier stage and ensuring that institutions are equipped to respond effectively.
This includes strengthening mechanisms for:
- Early identification and reporting of gender-based violence;
- Protection of women and girls at risk;
- Effective access to justice and legal assistance;
- Appropriate investigation and prosecution of perpetrators;
- Institutional coordination and accountability;
- Support and protection for survivors and affected families;
- Public education and prevention; and
- Continued legal and policy reform where gaps are identified.
The legal profession has a particularly important role to play in this process. Lawyers are often positioned at the point where victims, families and institutions encounter the justice system. Their contribution therefore extends beyond litigation to advocacy, legal education, policy dialogue and the identification of weaknesses within existing mechanisms.
The Importance of the Yaoundé Declaration on Femicide
A significant aspect of the conference was the discussion surrounding the Yaoundé Declaration on Femicide. The Declaration represents an effort to translate collective concern into a framework for action and to bring together the perspectives of institutions, legal professionals, civil society and other stakeholders around the prevention of femicide.
For the legal profession, such an initiative is particularly relevant because sustainable progress requires a clear connection between public commitments, legal standards, institutional practice and effective remedies.
SIRRI-NA & Co. considers the participation of the Cameroon Bar Association in this process an important demonstration of the profession’s responsibility to contribute constructively to national conversations concerning the protection of fundamental rights and access to justice.
A Matter of Law, Rights and Social Responsibility
Femicide raises fundamental questions concerning the protection of the right to life, human dignity, equality and security, as well as the responsibility of institutions to prevent and respond to violence. It also reminds us that legal protection must be accessible in practice, not merely recognised in principle.
The prevention of violence against women therefore requires collaboration between lawmakers, law-enforcement authorities, judicial institutions, lawyers, social services, civil society organisations, communities and international partners. The presence of representatives from these different sectors at the Yaoundé conference was an important demonstration of the value of such collaboration.
SIRRI-NA & Co.’s Commitment
For SIRRI-NA & Co., participation in the National Conference on the Prevention of Femicide reflects the firm’s broader commitment to the responsible practice of law and to engaging with issues at the intersection of law, human rights, social justice and institutional development.
As a modern law firm, SIRRI-NA & Co. recognises that the practice of law extends beyond the resolution of individual disputes. Lawyers also have a role in contributing their expertise to conversations that shape legal institutions, public policy and access to justice.
Barrister Sirri Assumpta’s participation, as part of the Cameroon Bar Association’s delegation, therefore provided an opportunity for SIRRI-NA & Co. to contribute to an important national dialogue and to support collective efforts aimed at preventing violence against women.
The conference’s message remains both simple and urgent: Recognise the causes. Prevent. Act.
The protection of women’s lives requires sustained action — through law, institutions, communities and society as a whole. SIRRI-NA & Co. remains committed to bringing legal expertise, professional responsibility and constructive engagement to the issues that matter to individuals, businesses and society.
