Traditional Law and Discriminatory Customary Practices against Women in Cameroon: A Critical Perspective

Abstract

This article highlights the cultural and traditional practices that continue to discriminate against women in Cameroon, given that gender equality has been recognised and guaranteed in the Constitution of Cameroon and all international human rights instruments which Cameroon has ratified, notably the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and its Optional Protocol, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and all other international and regional conventions and covenants relating to discrimination against women. The article points out that the status of a woman under traditional law is far less than that of a slave. A woman is regarded as an abominable object and subjected to harmful customary practices. Some customs still continue to affect the physical and psychological development of the village woman. It is suggested that the village woman should be empowered financially, economically and socially to fight against customary practices that violate their rights.