African Law and The Status of Women's Access to Justice in Cameroon

The sources of law in most African countries are customary law, the received laws and legislation both colonial and
post-independence. In a typical African country as is the case with Cameroon, the great majority of people conduct their personal
activities in accordance with and subject to customary law. Customary law has great impact in the area of personal law in regard to
matters such as marriage, inheritance and traditional authority, and because it developed in an era dominated by patriarchy some of
its norms conflict with human rights norms guaranteeing equality between men and women. While recognising the role of legislative
reforms, it is argued here that the courts have an important role to play in ensuring that customary law is reformed and developed
to ensure that it conforms to human rights norms and contribute to the promotion of equality between men and women. The guiding
principle should be that customary law is a living law and cannot therefore be static. It must be interpreted to take account of the
lived experiences of the people it serves.