Geraldine Achiah had been married for barely two months when she died in September, leaving behind an 18-year-old son who is struggling to come to terms with her death and demanding justice for what relatives allege was a fatal beating by her husband.

Achiah, an elementary school teacher in her 30s, had encouraged her only child, Courage Abombi, to pursue his dream of becoming a mechanical engineer. He sat for a university entrance exam just one day after her burial.

"My mom died an unexpected and painful death,” Abombi said.

Her death has become part of a growing crisis of femicide in Cameroon, where nearly 70 women have been killed this year in gender-related killings, according to the Ministry of Women's Affairs. The figure exceeds government estimates of at least 50 cases in 2023 and 67 in 2024.

The rising toll has prompted protests in major cities, including Douala and Yaounde, with demonstrators demanding stronger legal protections, more effective investigations and accountability for perpetrators. Many cases remain unresolved, while others go unreported.

Manfred Amambua, Achiah's husband, has denied killing her, police said. He has been charged with murder and is being held in jail awaiting trial. His lawyer was unavailable for comment.

Hospital records obtained by The Associated Press (AP) documented "several bruises on her face and lips” before her death. Ndzana Bienvenu, an officer involved in the investigation, said police had also collected phone footage showing Achiah and her husband after the alleged beating, along with a blood-stained bedsheet.

Her relatives say they want justice not only for Achiah but also for other women who have died in similar circumstances.

"We want justice for our daughter who died a violent death. This was a teacher who imparted knowledge on thousands of young Cameroonians,” said Regina Ngukum, Achiah's cousin.

A crisis rooted in inequality

Activists say femicide in Cameroon is fueled by economic dependence, unequal control over family property and inadequate legal protections in a society where men traditionally hold greater authority within households.

Financial hardship can make it difficult for women to leave abusive relationships, particularly when they have children to support. Some endure violence in the hope that their partners will change, activists say, while stigma and limited resources can make seeking help even harder.

"The current economic situation in the country is not helping matters. With limited resources, many women tend to endure violence in their marriages, hoping that their men will change, which is not usually the case,” Women's Affairs Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa recently told the state broadcaster.

Ondoa described femicide cases in Cameroon as having reached a "cruel” and "alarming” proportion and pledged further government action.

The crisis mirrors a wider global pattern. About 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or other family members in 2024, according to United Nations data.

Legal gaps and a struggling justice system

Activists argue that Cameroon needs stronger laws and a more effective judicial system to prevent gender-related killings and ensure perpetrators face meaningful punishment.

The country's Penal Code criminalizes offenses including rape but does not explicitly define femicide as a separate crime. Cases are therefore handled under broader provisions governing homicide and other violent acts.

Similar approaches are used in many African countries, where killings motivated by gender are generally prosecuted under existing homicide laws, although some governments have taken legal or policy steps specifically addressing femicide.

Cameroon's government is preparing a bill that would establish femicide as a standalone criminal offense while strengthening broader protections against gender-based violence. The proposed legislation is expected to be submitted to parliament for consideration in November.

Activists caution, however, that changing the law alone will not resolve the problems that allow cases to stall or perpetrators to escape accountability.

Carole Grace Mbarga, a Cameroonian activist based in the United States, said investigations and court proceedings can be undermined by intimidation, corruption and procedural errors that may lead to reduced charges or acquittals.

"When investigations drag on, evidence deteriorates, witnesses lose confidence, and families become discouraged,” she said.

Even when convictions are secured, the penalties can fall short of victims' families' expectations. In 2025, a man who pleaded guilty to killing his wife received a suspended five-year sentence and a fine of 52,000 CFA francs, equivalent to about $90.

For activists, such outcomes reinforce concerns that the justice system does not adequately deter violence against women.

Families demand accountability

Family members and friends gathered in Yaounde for Achiah's burial following her death just two months after her wedding in July.

Her relatives are now waiting for the legal process to take its course while joining a broader movement demanding action against femicide. Thousands of people have taken part in protests in Douala and Yaounde, calling on authorities to strengthen protections for women and ensure that cases are properly investigated and prosecuted.

Laura Sen, one of the protest organizers, said the proposed legislation must be accompanied by efforts to address systemic barriers and improve support for victims of domestic violence.

For women facing abuse, leaving a relationship can be especially difficult when they depend financially on their partners or fear social stigma. Those raising children may face additional obstacles.

Achiah's death has left her son grieving the woman who supported his ambitions and helped him imagine a future beyond their loss.

Abombi said he continues to pray that the legal process will deliver justice for his mother.

"I pray that justice will follow its due course and that her killer will face the law,” he said.

He also described dreams in which his mother returns to comfort him.

"She keeps appearing to me in a dream, consoling me not to despair and that she is still with me,” he said.