The concerns were raised on Wednesday, April 23, 2026, during a gathering of the Faith Actors Network for Gender Justice in Bamenda, where religious actors, civil society leaders and legal practitioners examined the role of faith communities in preventing abuse and supporting survivors.
Speakers at the event painted a troubling picture of violence hidden behind religious authority, weak institutional systems and limited access to justice for victims.
Speaking during an interview with www.hilltopvoices.com, Pearl Foundation Executive Director, Nsono Josephine, said while some institutions such as the Cameroon Baptist Convention, the Catholic Chu and few others have existing frameworks that address aspects of gender based violence, many faith communities still lack direct policies to handle cases when they occur.
She noted that the Cameroon Baptist Convention CBC has developed safeguarding policies within its health and education sectors, but similar mechanisms are still missing in many worship spaces.
“What are the things we can do to make sure that we have these policies in place and elaborate strategies that can support the identification, holistic referral and intervention of survivors when they are faced with one violence or the other?” she said.
Nsono Josephine argued that the absence of clear systems often fuels impunity, as survivors do not know where to report cases while perpetrators take advantage of institutional gaps.
Youth Strong Cameroon President and Co-founder, Boyo Maurine, said many victims continue to suffer because existing policies are either unavailable or inaccessible to ordinary worshippers.
“A lot seems to happen, but always trapped under the carpet that touches the dignity of humans, particularly women, children and vulnerable persons,” she said.
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She stressed that some religious institutions may have policy documents, but these are rarely accessible to members who need them most.
“For those that have documents, there is need for those documents to be made available to the common man because most people are looking up to faith institutions for solutions to issues they do not understand,” she added.
Legal practitioner Barrister Lamago Tengeh C. Françoise said faith institutions are not immune to gender based violence, revealing that several religious leaders in the North West Region have already faced prosecution for sexual abuse crimes.
“We’ve had to prosecute a number of cases where some faith leaders violated children,” she said, citing cases involving pastors and a Muslim cleric who are currently serving prison sentences.
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She warned that some religious leaders exploit vulnerable individuals by manipulating them spiritually or financially instead of directing them to appropriate legal and psychosocial services.
Despite the challenges, participants said the newly formed Faith Actors Network for Gender Justice could provide a coordinated response by linking religious institutions, legal actors and civil society organisations to improve survivor support.
According to Barrister Lamago Tenguh, the network would help establish stronger referral pathways, promote training and strengthen collaboration with government institutions.
“This is a synergy that wants to coordinate the actions of different stakeholders in the fight against gender injustice,” she said.
Participants ended the meeting with a renewed call for faith institutions to adopt stronger gender policies, improve reporting systems and prioritise survivor protection over institutional reputation.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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