Adolescent girls are facing a double crisis: armed violence and the loss of control over their own bodies in Cameroon’s conflict-hit Northwest and Southwest regions. With schools closed, health facilities shuttered, and harmful cultural norms prevailing, many girls cannot make basic decisions about their reproductive health. Local advocates warn that unless urgent action is taken, this generation risks losing its future before it even begins.
Bodily autonomy, the ability to make decisions about one’s own body without coercion is essential for gender equality. Yet in Cameroon, this right remains fragile. According to the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey, 23% of married women report having no say in their own health decisions, and only 19% of women aged 15–49 use modern contraceptives.
In the conflict-affected Northwest and Southwest regions, the situation is even more dire. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA, 2023) reports that over 70% of health facilities in these areas are closed or non-functional, cutting off communities from basic sexual and reproductive health services.
Adolescent girls are disproportionately affected. With schools closed and displacement common, many face sexual violence, early marriage, and unintended pregnancies. UNFPA estimates that more than 60% of pregnancies among girls aged 15–19 in Cameroon are unintended, and many end in unsafe abortions – one of the leading causes of maternal death nationwide. The Guttmacher Institute notes that unsafe abortion accounts for up to 20% of maternal mortality in Cameroon, placing enormous strain on families and the fragile health system.
“In conflict zones, girls lose not only their classrooms but also their choices. Their futures are too often negotiated by others,” says the Advocacy Lead of Vision in Action Cameroon, a local SRHR organization working in the Northwest and Southwest regions.
Amid the crisis, organizations like Vision in Action Cameroon and Women For Change are creating safe spaces for adolescents, offering access to accurate sexual and reproductive health information, peer-to-peer support networks, and guidance on contraception and reproductive rights. These efforts are critical in bridging the gap left by non-functional health services and challenging harmful gender norms.
Health professionals and SRHR advocates in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions emphasize that achieving bodily autonomy for girls requires urgent, coordinated action. Vision in Action Cameroon stresses that national policies must integrate adolescent sexual and reproductive health into health coverage frameworks, while grassroots programs continue empowering girls with knowledge and supportive networks. Community leaders, educators, and local health workers also have a critical role in confronting harmful norms that restrict young women’s choices.
“When girls control their choices, communities gain resilience, and futures shine brighter, even in the most difficult places,” added, the Advocacy Lead of Vision in Action Cameroon.
Empowering adolescent girls and young women with contraceptive education in an IDP refuge camp in the Southwest Region, Cameroon
In these conflict-affected regions, empowering girls to make informed decisions about their bodies is not only a matter of health, it is a foundation for resilient communities, safer families, and stronger futures.
