By Guy Feugap, World BEYOND War’s Africa Organizer, September 27, 2026

On the occasion of the International Day of Peace, celebrated on September 21, 2026, a parliamentary dialogue focused on peace, social cohesion, and the protection of populations was held in Cameroon at the invitation of the United Nations in Cameroon. The meeting, held at the National Assembly headquarters, brought together representatives from Parliament and the Government, civil society organizations, and various stakeholders and partners committed to promoting peace and combating gender-based violence, femicide, and infanticide. Cameroon, already mired in armed conflicts, is now characterized by growing insecurity for people in their daily lives. Unfortunately, institutions have proven unable to prevent and respond to the various forms of violence threatening the population.

The first session of the parliamentary dialogue, dedicated to Parliament’s role in promoting peace, focused on how the National Assembly, the Senate, and members of Parliament can use their constitutional functions and public leadership to contribute to a peaceful environment. Discussions focused in particular on inclusive dialogue, nonviolent political participation, prevention and early warning, accountability in political communication and information, as well as the protection and inclusion of women, youth, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. Peaceful dispute resolution and dialogue were also identified as important elements of peacebuilding.

The second session was devoted to strengthening prevention and response to gender-based violence, femicide, and infanticide. Introduced by the Vice President of the National Assembly and the United Nations Advisor on Peace and Development, among others, the dialogue addressed these forms of violence as issues involving human rights, protection, justice, public health, governance, and peace. The discussions shed light on a troubling situation. The rise in certain forms of crime and violence is an additional cause for concern. Femicide and infanticide—including in places where women and children should be protected, such as homes and schools—illustrate the scale of the challenges facing Cameroonian society. Civil society reaffirmed its role in educating and raising awareness among the public, as well as in advocating for a legal framework to better prevent and punish these crimes. In this regard, World BEYOND War and WILPF Cameroon launched a letter-writing campaign addressed to the Prime Minister, Head of Government, to draw the authorities’ attention to the urgent need for strengthened action against femicides.

On the government’s side, it was noted that the process of drafting the bill on gender-based violence is at an advanced stage and that the text is nearly finalized. Parliamentary representatives, for their part, indicated that they are ready to review and vote on the bill as soon as it is officially submitted to them. This prospect was one of the key takeaways from the dialogue: the need to translate the concerns expressed by civil society and other stakeholders into concrete institutional and legislative measures. Beyond the adoption of a law, the discussions also highlighted the importance of a coordinated response encompassing prevention, reporting, referral of victims and survivors, protection, investigation, prosecution, justice, psychosocial support, and institutional coordination.

The parliamentary dialogue held on International Day of Peace 2026 thus brought together two dimensions that are often addressed separately: peacebuilding and the struggle against gender-based violence. For civil society organizations working on these issues, preventing femicides, infanticides, and other forms of violence is not merely a matter of justice or the protection of human rights. It also contributes to building a peaceful society, in which every person can live free from violence and where institutions fully assume their responsibility to protect. The organizations that participated in this session will continue to ensure that the commitments and discussions arising from this meeting are translated into concrete actions.

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