Cameroon: Lilian Dibo Foundation Launches National Video Challenge against Femicide

BUEA, PAV – The Lilian Dibo Foundation (LDF), an organisation advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities, has launched a national video challenge aimed at confronting femicide and gender-based violence in Cameroon, as concern grows over the killing of women across the country.

Under the slogan “Enough is Enough! Women are not meant to be killed”, the foundation is offering FCFA 200,000 in prize money to members of the public who use short videos to raise awareness about violence against women and demand greater accountability for perpetrators.

The initiative comes amid growing concern over the normalisation of violence against women and a culture of silence that can allow abuse to escalate. “From January till now, we have witnessed disturbing cases of women losing their lives at the hands of those who were supposed to love and protect them,” the foundation said in a statement. “Murder is a crime. Femicide must be punished by the law.”

The organisation said there could be no justification for killing a woman, rejecting explanations based on jealousy, infidelity, relationship difficulties, anger or financial hardship. The competition is open to the general public, including students, activists, journalists, artists, content creators and persons with or without disabilities.

Participants are being encouraged to use their phones to produce short dramas, spoken-word performances, poetry, mini-documentaries, advocacy messages or social media awareness videos addressing femicide and gender-based violence.

The foundation said each entry must mention the Lilian Dibo Foundation, with participants able to submit their work directly through its WhatsApp contact or publish it on social media while tagging the organisation.

The three entries judged to have generated the highest combination of likes, shares and impact will receive prizes. The winner will receive FCFA 100,000, while the second- and third-placed participants will receive FCFA 70,000 and FCFA 30,000 respectively. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 12 October 2026.

But the Lilian Dibo Foundation says the initiative is intended to be more than a competition. It wants the campaign to encourage difficult conversations about violence against women, challenge silence around abuse and push communities to consider how femicide can be prevented before another life is lost.

“Your message matters,” the foundation said, asking participants to use their videos to address questions about why perpetrators should be held accountable, how communities can prevent femicide and what individuals can do to stop violence.

The campaign also seeks to bring disability into the national conversation on gender-based violence. Women and girls with disabilities can face overlapping forms of vulnerability, including discrimination linked to both gender and disability. Their experiences are often overlooked in wider discussions about domestic violence and access to protection and justice.

For LDF, placing persons with disabilities at the centre of the campaign is part of its broader mission of challenging barriers that prevent vulnerable people from fully participating in society. The foundation is also calling on media organisations, schools, churches and community leaders to promote the challenge and help extend its reach beyond social media.

The campaign comes as public debate over femicide in Cameroon has intensified, with civil society organisations and officials calling for stronger preventive measures, better protection for victims and tougher action against perpetrators.

For the foundation, however, the starting point is changing the way violence is discussed. Women who are killed should not be blamed for the circumstances surrounding their deaths, it argues, and relationship problems should never be allowed to become a justification for murder.