Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
But Prof Vincent Sosthene FOUDA Says Femicide Is Fought With Truth, Justice, Protection And Action, And Not Colour. Meanwhile, The Minister Of Women Empowerment And The Family, Has Signed A Service Note Calling On All Personnel Of The Central And External Services Of The Ministry, To Wear A T- shirt With The Message, “STOP TO FEMICIDES AND INFANTICIDES”, On Fridays.
In the face of the rising number of women being killed in Cameroon these days, a group of female activists has launched Mouvement “VENDREDI ROUGE”, that is, “RED FRIDAY” Movement, with women across the country being called upon to join by wearing something red on Fridays, as a symbolic way to denounce the rise of femicide in the country, or better still, as a symbol to denounce the rising number of women being killed in the country. Besides putting on something red on Fridays, the “VENDREDI ROUGE’ movement has called on women to publish or post a picture in red, or in red visual, at 12 noon on Fridays. The operation to fight against the diabolical act being committed against women in the society or country, is apolitical
The message of the Movement is: “VENDREDI ROUGE. STOP AUX FEMINICIDES. Pour Une Societe Plus Juste , Plus Humaine, Et Sans Violence Faites Aux Femmes”
Approximate translation: “RED FRIDAY. STOPTO FEMICIDES. For A Society More Just, More Humane, And Without Violence On Women”.
Operation “RED FRIDAY” Kicked Off On August 28.
The operation, “VENDREDI ROUGE” or “RED FRIDAY”, started last Friday (August 28, 2026), though observers did not see many women in red on that day. But from the look of things, the problem seemed to have been due to poor sensitization, as many women were seemingly not aware of the operation. However, most of women who were aware of the operation joined the “RED FRIDAY’ Movement on that Friday, August 28, by putting on red, and also publishing or posting pictures in red at noon.
One of the prominent ladies in Douala that joined the “RED FRIDAY’ Movement on that August 28, by wearing red, was Dr Marie Solange Ndom Ebongue, the Director of Laquintinie Hospital (Littoral Regional Hospital) in Cameroon’s economic capital, Douala. She posted a picture at midday on that Friday, having on a red T. shirt. She was in her office. As a medical doctor on duty, she also had on the white jacket. Dr Marie Solange Ndom Ebongue, re-echoed the message: “Essemble Faison Cesser Les Femicides Et Disons STOP AUX VIOLENCE FAITES AUX FEMMES”. Approximately translated as: “Together, Let’s Make Femicides To Stop, And Let’s Say – STOP TO VIOLENCE ON WOMEN”.
Minister Of Women Empowerment And The Family Launches “BLACK FRIDAYS”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie Therese Abena Ondoa, who has either rightly or wrongly been under a lot of public criticisms, that her ministry is not doing much to fight the rise of femicide in the country, has launched “BLACK FRIDAYS”, to involve all personnel of the ministry. On August 27, 2026, the minister signed a service note calling on personnel of the Central and External Services of the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family in the country, to wear a T. shirt bearing the message, “STOP TO FEMICIDES AND INFANTICIDES” on Fridays, as a symbolic act against the rising cases of fimicides and infanticides in the country. The T. shirt which is blue should preferably go with a black skirt or trouser.
The Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family put out some pictures, showing the minister in her office, putting on the T. shirt and a long black skirt. She also put on black shoes and black headscarf. The Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family, says the wearing of the T, shirt and black on Fridays, is a symbolic act to reaffirm the commitment the ministry in the fight against femicides and infanticides in the society. The ministry points out that the operation is being done within the context of the rising cases of violence against women and children in the society. Some of violence cases, end up in deaths ( femicides and infanticides).
The operation “BLACK FRIDAYs” launched by the Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family for all personnel of the Central and External Services of the ministry in the country, started on Friday, August 28, 2026 in Mfoundi Division, or in the nation’s capital, Yaounde, to be precise. Worthy of note that Mfoundi Division (Yaounde) has seven sub –divisions. The Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family, that is, the Central Service, is of course in Yaounde. “BLACK FRIDAYS” will extend to the External Services of the ministry in the other 57 Divisions across the country, as from Friday, September 4, 2026.
“Femicides Is Fought Against With Truth, Justice, Protection And Action”
Meanwhile, the well –known Cameroonian activist, intellectual and politician, Prof Vincent Sosthene Fouda, in a social media post, criticized the “VENDREDI ROUGE” or “RED FRIDAY” Movement. Prof Vincent Sosthene Fouda who is known to be quite active on the social media, late last week posted an article, titled, “Le Feminicides N’est Pas Un Defile De Mode”, approximately translated as, “Femicide is Not A Fashion Parade”.
Prof Fouda said he had nothing against women in red, nothing against images, noting against symbols, nothing against campaigns, and so on. But he said a woman that is assassinated is not a colour, a death is not a visual, and that femicide is not a prepared stage for communication. “Le Feminicide ne ce combat pas avec les photos. Il se combat avec la Verite, la Justice, la Protection, et l’Action”. Approximately translated as, “Femicide is not fought with pictures. It is fought with Truth, Justice, Protection, and Action”. But he did not expatiate on what he really meant by Truth, Justice, Protection and Action, in this context of femicide.
Meanwhile, many observers and analysts are likely to consider the criticisms of the” Mouvement WENDREDI ROUGE’, or the “RED FRIDAY Movement’ by Prof Vincent Sosthene Fouda as unfair. This is considering the fact that the women in the operation are trying to draw attention, are trying to sensitize the population, are trying to create awareness on the rising ill, or better still, on the rising evil, in the country – Violence against women in general, and Femicide in particular.
