Page 1 of 12

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 06

June 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 109

Variation in Perception, And Influence of Violence

against Women/Girls on Their Sexual and Reproductive

Health across Rural and Urban Cameroon

Wilfred A. Abia1,2,3*, Eucharia A. Abia1,2,4, Valeri M. Oben1,5, Elisabeth A. Achinko 3,

Lum K. Niba1,4, Elvis N. Wadyeh2,4, Judith N. Mekole1,2

1

Integrated Reproductive & Sexual Health Team, Department of Healthcare, Integrated Health for All

Foundation (IHAF), P.O. Box 31717, Biyem-Assi, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

2

Project Management and Leadership Internship Program, Department of Education, Integrated Health

for All Foundation (IHAF), P.O. Box 31717, Biyem-Assi, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

3Women’s Welfare Foundation, (WoWF) Cameroon

4

Institute for Management and Professional Training (IMPT), Yaounde, Cameroon

5Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Inter-socio Educational Cooperation (ISEC) International College,

Yaoundé, Cameroon.

*Correspondance: e-mail: abiawilfred@yahoo.com

Abstract:

This study intends to compare the variation in perception of rural and urban women on violence against women

while verifying its influence upon their sexual and reproductive health. This investigation was carried out on account

of a general observation that the meaning of violence against women is poorly understood as it is neglected in most

parts of Cameroon whilst sex education is still considered a taboo. Data was collected through structured

questionnaires, interview guides, records, observations and meetings. A total of 118 responses were obtained from

participants of the workshop (n=10), urban (n=65) and rural (n=43) areas. Survey findings revealed low (10%,

12/118) parents-to-child sex education. City parents forbid children from keeping late as an indirect parents-to-child

sex education. Conversely, rural children with less parental control, feel despised without sex partner(s). Ignorance

on Gender Based Violence/Violence against Women was higher in rural (87%) relative to urban (13%) areas with

women/girls being most vulnerable. This suggests that women/girls were exposed to Sexually Transmitted Infections

and unwanted pregnancies, especially in rural areas where awareness on family planning and birth control is

inadequate. As such, the non-negotiable health rights of women are jeopardized with serious consequences on the

attainment of the then Millennium- , today called, Sustainable Development Goals, resulting in extra-poverty burden.

Women are violated throughout life-time by “who?” “men”, thus, men’s role to end Violence against Women is

urgent. Capacity building and awareness raising programs by Non Governmental Organisations cannot be

neglected.

Key words: Sex education, Gender Based Violence/Violence against Women, Sexual and reproductive health,

women, men

Page 2 of 12

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 06

June 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 110

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Throughout the 21st century, our views on women’s

social status have radically changed as exemplified by

the feminist trends. Since the early 19th and 20th

centuries till now, three trends of feminism have

existed consecutively and are classified according to

different beliefs, strategies and goals. Basically, the

first trend’s concern was equal access and opportunity

for women that marked a period of empowerment,

independence, rights to nationality, work and equal

pay for women. The second trend was associated with

feminist movement as from 1960s to early 1970s. It

was characterised as a period of women’s liberation

and the rise of a branch of feminism known as ‘radical

feminism’ that played alongside mainstream

movements such as; civil rights movement. After

which, the third and newest trend is that whose

understanding and context are of the globalised world

order with an intervention of many new technologies.

This new wave embraces ambiguity and introduced a

feminist approach by which it intersects the issues of

gender, race, class and age related. Other than that this

wave denotes a period of feminism dealing with

identity politics, body politics as well as issues of

violence, e.g., violence against women.

Violence against women (VAW)1

is one current issue

this newest wave strongly disapproves of because of

its adverse effects upon health of women. As a result,

many international organizations were mandated to

educate the public with the aim of putting an end to

VAW. Current data show that VAW/girls draw

attention to women and young girls who are targeted

and discriminated upon by men due to their natural

weakness. This brings us to acknowledgment of the

definition accepted by the African charter on Human

and Peoples’ Rights of Women in Africa2

from the

Additional Protocol.

1 Violence against women. (2016, July 5). In Wikipedia,

The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:33, August 26, 2016,

from

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Violence_agains

t_women&oldid=728508246

2 African charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights of Women

in Africa2

from the Additional Protocol. Retrieved 10:16,

“All acts perpetrated against women, which can

cause them harm or physical, sexual,

psychological, and economic suffering, including

the threats to take such actions, the

imposition of restrictions or arbitrary

deprivation of fundamental freedom, whether in

private life or public life, in peacetime, in

conflict or war.” Ayafor, (2014),

Furthermore, the recognition of privileges of sexual

reproductive health (SRH) makes known that:

“a) All couples and individuals have the right to

decide freely and responsibly the number,

spacing and timing of their children, and to

have the information and means to do so;

(b) Decisions concerning reproduction should be

made free from discrimination, coercion

and violence.”

Additionally, the International Conference on

Population and Development (ICPD) programme of

action outlines SRH care in the context of primary

health care as it concerns married and unmarried

people, adolescents and adults. It further includes:

“(a) Family planning;

(b) Antenatal, safe delivery and post-natal care;

(c) Prevention and appropriate treatment of

infertility;

d) Prevention of abortion and management of the

consequences of abortion;

(e) Treatment of reproductive tract infections;

(f) Prevention, care and treatment of STIs and

HIV/AIDS;

(g) Information, education and counseling as

appropriate, on human sexuality and reproductive

health;

(h) Prevention and surveillance of violence

against women, care for survivors of violence and

August 27, 2016, from

http://www.achpr.org/files/instruments/women- protocol/achpr_instr_proto_women_eng.pdf

Page 3 of 12

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 06

June 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 111

other actions to eliminate traditional harmful

practices, such as FGM/C;

(i) Appropriate referrals for further diagnosis and

management of the above. ”

(United Nations Population Fund, 2008).

Assessment of the meanings of VAW and SRH rights

between the urban and rural women only reveals an

obvious gab in knowledge existing between the two

groups and that connotes ignorance. Ignorance after

all, is a main reason to incessant violence suffered by

these women on their part in different forms on daily

basis. These forms in turn represent the causes

(neglect) fuelled by the societal systems to the

women’s inexperience during which Ngwane, (2007),

categorises them as; socio-cultural, socio-economic

and socio-political forms. Specifically, the socio- cultural form includes all forms of violence rooted in

our customary practices and cultural value systems.

This form has had resistance from traditional

structures over the years due to native cultural

assessment of governance and expressed cultural

interpretations. Some examples of these forms are

female genital mutilation, domestic violence, property

grabbing, early forced marriages, female infanticide,

son preference, dowry prices and so on. Likewise, the

socio-economic form draws attention to the term

‘Ferminization of poverty’ which indicates that 52%

of the bulk of the African population today are women

who undergo violence or persecution proceeding from

poor service delivery and biased resource allocation.

That is to say, absence of sufficient health strategies,

education infrastructure and agriculture greatly affect

only women. Likewise, gaining access to education

still remains a major challenge as Ngwane, (2007),

points to two third of the world’s population who are

women and still illiterates – as it is mostly noticed in

the rural zones where the rural women are victims to

this. Similarly, the socio-political form shows

violence originating from unfair political

representation and bad governance. Women make up

half of the world’s population yet they account for

only five to ten percent of formal leadership positions

worldwide. The empowerment model is brought to

light here asserted by Moser as cited by Ngwane,

(2007). He describes power more in terms of the

capacity women need to increase their own self- reliance and internal strength so as to upgrade the

lives of women and men than domination over others.

1.2 Research niche

The variation and perception of violence against

women (VAW) in rural areas is poorly understood.

The result is that most efforts at educating the women

folk are concentrated in urban areas. The objective of

the study was to compare the variation and perception

of the meaning of VAW living in rural and urban

communities of Cameroon while verifying its

influence upon their sexual and reproductive health

(SRH). Along these lines, the general hypothesis was

derived as such: the level of awareness of the meaning

of VAW/girls has more impact upon the SRH of

women living in the rural area. While, less impact is

felt upon those in the urban region.

The main study variables were: VAW (independent

variable) and SRH (dependent variable). From the

hypothesis, a general question was formulated to

know the relationship existing between level of

understanding the meaning of VAW and its influence

upon SRH across rural and urban Cameroon.

Furthermore, the results expected were obtained

because of independent variables, modalities and

indicators that were closely matched up with those of

the dependent variable. Hence, a logical plan was

made from which pertinent research questions were

made and relationships picked that formed the specific

hypotheses for discussion. The pertinence of the

research questions and hypotheses were determined as

from relatively very high or low rates of the

independent variable that compared with those of the

dependent variable. So, specific questions were

realised from the plan that finally examined the study

purpose (problem) as follows:

- What is the relationship that exists between

level of education and reason for sexual

intercourse?

- How does first awareness for sex education

influence reason for sexual intercourse?

- Is there any relationship between level of

education and who decides on when to have

intercourse?

- How does most frequent source of physical

violence determines who decides on when to

have intercourse?