Women, girls may bear brunt of post-election turmoil -Gender activist.

Writing in a poignant statement, Rahel Eyong described how the ongoing crisis in the North West and South West regions has displaced over two million people, with women and children accounting for more than sixty percent of those affected. Schools have been destroyed, classrooms abandoned, and nearly 700,000 children denied access to education.

“Girls who once dreamed of becoming doctors, teachers, and leaders have been turned into victims of a war they never created,” she wrote, highlighting the human cost of protracted violence. 

“We have buried our children. We have walked on blood and eaten tears as food,” she lamented 

Eyong recounted how recent atrocities, including the shooting of a female teacher in Garoua, underscoring how women and girls have become direct targets amid political instability. She noted that families have been torn apart; homes destroyed; and children forced into early marriages or exploitative labour to survive.

“Every bullet fired in this political struggle lands in the womb of a woman. Every act of injustice destroys a girl’s chance at education. This is not politics; this is a war against women and girls,” she stated.

The advocacy leader called on political leaders to respect the democratic process and uphold peace, urging the Constitutional Council to act in the interest of justice. 

Eyong emphasised that leadership is stewardship, not conquest, and warned that the nation cannot be rebuilt on the suffering and deaths of its children.

“Our tears have become rivers, and our silence has become a graveyard of truth,” she wrote. 

“The power you seek should never come at the price of women’s blood,” Eyong stated. 

Eyong’s statement is both a moral appeal and a public record, calling for tangible measures to protect women and children, ensure access to education, and foster national reconciliation. She highlighted that history is watching and that Cameroon’s leaders must act now to prevent further suffering.

“The world is watching. History is recording. And the cries of Cameroonian women will one day stand as testimony before God and before men,” she said.

Civil society groups say the statement reflects broader concerns among citizens about the country’s fragile political climate and ongoing humanitarian crises. Analysts warn that without decisive action, the cycle of violence and displacement could continue, eroding the nation’s social fabric and undermining the democratic process.

About Lead Girls Africa

Founded by Rahel Eyong Ebot, Lead Girls Africa is a women’s empowerment organisation focused on education, advocacy, and protection of girls across Cameroon and Africa. The organisation works to amplify the voices of girls affected by conflict and to promote leadership, equality, and social justice.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3603 of Thursday October 23, 2025