Women are the silent victims and unsung heroes of the Anglophone crisis. While the headlines often focus on soldiers and armed separatists, the deep scars borne by women and girls remain in the shadows. Yet, their suffering is vast — and their resilience unmatched.
As communities are torn apart, women often bear the burden of holding families together. When husbands are killed or disappear, it is the women who must become breadwinners, caretakers, and protectors — often in unsafe environments. Many are forced to flee with their children into the bush, where they give birth without medical assistance, live without clean water, and feed their children with roots and leaves just to survive.
Sexual and gender-based violence has escalated sharply since the beginning of the conflict. Women and girls are targeted by the waring parties — raped during raids by soldiers or abused by separatist groups who use violence to instil fear and maintain control. Reporting these crimes is almost impossible. There is no justice system willing to listen, and survivors are often blamed or shamed into silence.
Girls’ education has also been disproportionately affected. With schools closed or unsafe, many girls are pulled into early marriage or forced to work. Some are trafficked. The dreams they once had — to become nurses, teachers, leaders — are slowly replaced by a struggle for mere survival.
But in the midst of all this, Anglophone women have risen. They form community groups, lead peace initiatives, and run underground shelters for displaced families. They cook for orphans, risk their lives to mediate between armed groups, and document atrocities at great personal risk.
Their voices are vital, and their stories must be heard. Any peacebuilding effort that excludes women is doomed to fail. They are not just victims — they are the key to healing.
WRITTEN BY: NGWA ETIENNE NSUH