ABSTRACT

This study focuses on The effects of the Anglophone crisis on women and children. Case study Buea, Capital of the southwest region of Cameron which has been and still is one of the restive region in the Anglophone crisis. The objectives of this study is to understand why women primarily women and children of the crisis region are more affected either because of gender or status all which will be explained through and with a series of theories and how to remedy the situation. The target population in this research will be the active populace of Buea Municipality, spanning from Molyko city to Longstreet, Woganga village, with age range 21years to 61years.

This long essay will make use of Mixed Method Research, mostly making use of questionnaires comprising of at least a hundred people and interviews no less than 3 people. The finds will be analyzed, discussed and recommendations proposed.

Key Words: Anglophone crisis, Effects, women and children

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study;

What is today known as the Anglophone crisis could be traced back as far as seven decades ago, born of it bilingual nature due to the fact that pre-independent Cameroon was control by both Britain and France in unequal parts as France took the lions share while Britain was quite content with Northwest and Southwest Cameroon which they ruled as part of Nigeria. On February 11^th, 1961. The United Nations Organized a plebiscite for Southern Cameroons to determine the nature in which it was to become independent. The two options were: to either gain independence by integration with Nigeria, or reunify with La Republique du Cameroun. It should be noted that women were not allowed to vote on future of their own country. Anglophone Cameroon under the leadership of John Ngu Foncha overwhelming voted in favour of reunification. A conditional independence held on the 1^st of October that same 1961 and the 2 became one under the Federal Republic of Cameroon. However this federacy lasted no longer than 11years as former President Ah ma do u Babatoura Ahidjo ended it in 1982. A reference which was organised on May 20^th 1982 changed the Country’s name to the United Republic of Cameroon a reform which schools of thought believed angered many Anglophone Cameroonians. Twelve years later during the term of the 2^nd president, Paul Biya renewed the bilingual country as La Republic du Cameroon, a name French Cameroon gained independence with. That drove a thorn in the hearts of Anglophone Cameroonians as to them it interpreted as subjugation and oppression (Willis et am., 2019).

Fast forward to 2016 when the crisis which started as a peaceful strike by lawyers and teachers asking for judicial reforms such as the translation of the OHADA Uniform Act,

Withdrawal of Francophone magistrates from Anglophone court creation of a common law bench at the supreme court, withdrawal of French teachers from Anglophone schools to name a few, with the government out rightly ignoring these demands the protest grew more and more violent till 2017 breaking 2018 the insurgent group by the name Ambazonian surfaced and brought more than havoc carrying out multiple killings, kidnappings, arson, mutilation and more by 2019 the clashes between the military and serpatist fighters became a daily occurrence and grew worst till November 2020 when a Grand Nation Dialogue was held but sadly was ineffective in bringing about peace, by 2021 the conflict changed from being rampant to random as unpredictable attacks either informs of shootings or dropping locally made bombs ( Willis et al, 2019)

Since 2016 the Northwest and Southwest region have become a zone for the fittest and even they do not last long enough to describe the horror of the situation.

1.2 Problem statement

Despite numerous efforts made to remedy the ongoing crisis, thousands of women and children our still exposed and traumatized by the day. The focus of this academic project is therefore to bring light to the effects of the Anglophone crisis on women and children. In conflict times both men and women suffer, but women however have proven to suffer disproportionately more than men (borgen 2014). Although effort have been made to remedy the situation of women and children in the restive regions its effects are too temporal to be appraised and as such the problem is still very much present.  

1.3 Research Question

The research question will be classified into 2 categories; General and Specific

1.3.1 General Research Question

• What are the effect of the Anglophone Crisis on women and children?

• Is gender inequality the cause of women’s aggravated suffering in Crisis times?

1.3.2 Specific Questions

• How far has previous aid given to women and children in restive regions gone?

• What challenges have been faced?

• What could be done to boost already existing efforts?

• What factors need to be removed or put in place for long term recovery or results?

1.4 Hypothesis

Women and children of the restive regions of Cameroon Buea precisely have disproportionately suffered in the face of the Anglophone crisis.

1.5 Objectives of the study

This part of the work will be organised into general and specific objectives.

1.5.1 General Objectives

• This academic piece seeks to shed light on the effects of the Anglophone Crisis on women and children in Buea.

1.5.2 Specific Objectives

• This piece of work sets at explaining how and why women and children are more likely to suffer during crisis.
• To find out the steps taken in aiding women and children of the restive regions and how effective they have been

CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROJECT TOPICS WITH MATERIALS