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Our legislation adopted in the cameroon penal code 2016

 CYJULERC has adopted the enactment; empowerment and enforcement strategy to enable her achieve her goals of securing women and children’s rights; and the rights of marginalized communities. As such, advocacy for the adoption of legislation is a key activity in all our projects.

After ten (10) years of advocacy with national and international stakeholders, CYJULERC’s is proud to have lobbied for the adoption the following legislation in the Cameroon Penal Code of 12 July 2016: https://www.prc.cm/en/news/the-acts/laws/1829-law-no-2016-007-of-12-july-2016-relating-to-the-penal-code          

01.

Criminalizing FGM – Section 277 (1);

SECTION 277-1: Genital Mutilation
(1) Whoever mutilates the genital organ of any person, by any means whatsoever, shall be punished with the penalties provided for in Section 277 above:
(2) The penalty shall be imprisonment for life where: a) the offender habitually carries out such practice or does so for commercial purposes; b) it leads to the death of the victim.
(3) The Court may also impose the forfeitures provided for in Sections 19 and 30 of this Code.
(4) The provisions of Sub-sections 1 and 2 above shall not apply where the acts were performed by a qualified persan and in arder to save life.
02.

Criminalizing Breast Ironing – Section 277 (2);

SECTION 277-2: Prevention of Growth of Organ
Whoever, in any manner whatsoever, interferes with an organ in order to inhibit its normal growth shall be punished with imprisonment for from 6 (six) months to 5 (five) years and with fine of from CFAF 100 000 (one hundred thousand) to
CFAF 1 000 000 (one million) or with bath such imprisonment and fine.
03.

Criminalizing Bondage of Persons – Section 342;

SECTION 342: Debt Bondage of Persons.
(1) Whoever subjects a person to debt bandage shall be punished with imprisonment for from 5 (five) to 10 (ten) years and with fine of from CFAF 10 000 (ten thousand) to CFAF 500 000 (five hundred thousand).
(2) The penalties provided in Subsection (1) above shall be doubled where the offender is either an ascendant, a guardian or a person having even customary custody over the victim.
(3) Whoever boards a person in debt bandage shall be punished with imprisonment for 10 (ten) years and with fine of from CFAF 10 000 (ten thousand) to CFAF 1 000 000 (one million). (4) The court may aIso impose the forfeitures provided for in Section 30 of this Code.
04.

Increasing Age of Marriage from 14 for girls and 16 for boys to 18 – Section 356 (2)

(2) Where the victim is under the age of 18 (eighteen), the punishment may not be less than 2 (two) years imprisonment, whatever the mitigating circumstances.
05.

Ensuring Equality in Age of Marriage for both boys and girls – Section 356 (3);

(3) Whoever gives in marriage a boy or a girl under 18 (eighteen) shall be punished as under the two last foregoing Subsections.
06.

Criminalizing Eviction of women from matrimonial home by spouse or family – Section 358 (1);

SECTION 358-1: Eviction from the Matrimonial Home
(1) The spouse who, outside any judicial proceedings and without a valid reason, evicts the ether from the matrimonial home shall be punished with imprisonment for from 3 (three) months to 1 (one) year and with fine of from CFAF 50 000 (fifty thousand) to CFAF 500 000 (five hundred thousand).
(2) The penalty shall be imprisonment for from 2 (two) to 5 (five) years where:
a) the victim is a pregnant woman ;
b) the eviction is accompanied or preceded by physical or psychological violence, confiscation or destruction of the persona! effects of the victim ; or
c) the eviction is caused by a person other than the spouse of the victim.
07.

Ensuring Equal standards of Adultery for men and women – Section 361

SECTION 361: Adultery
(1) A woman who, being married, has sexual intercourse with a man other than her husband shall be punished with imprisonment for from 2 (two) to 6 (six) months or with fine of from CFAF 25 000 (twenty-five thousand) to CFAF 100 000 (one hundred thousand).
(2) A husband who has sexual intercourse with a woman other than his · wife or wives shall be punished as provided in Subsection 1 above. However, the burden of proof of the existence of a polygamous union shall with the husband.
(3) No prosecution may be commenced without the complaint of the wronged spouse.
(4) The connivance or condonation of the wronged spouse shall bar the commencement or continuation of any prosecution.
(5)Consent by the wronged spouse to resume cohabitation shall put an end to the effects of conviction.

Legislation Adopted

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