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Imperial debris, intimate partnerships and family law reform in Cameroon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 May 2024

Brenda K. Kombo
Brenda K. Kombo*
Affiliation:
Institute for Global Law and Policy, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA, USA
*
Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This article explores the enduring impact of efforts by the French mandate administration and Spiritan missionaries to regulate intimate partnerships in French Cameroon between 1916 and 1956. Drawing primarily on French archival material, I show how administrators and missionaries sought to domesticate ‘modernity’ through activities targeting women’s status and roles within intimate partnerships. Spiritans promoted monogamous Christian marriage by advocating for Christian legal status and through ‘schools for fiancées’ called sixas, which often provoked violent confrontations. Despite decrying these activities as culturally disruptive, the administration passed significant marriage legislation. While these efforts are characterized as exercises of epistemic violence because of their attempted erasure of women’s and broader local perspectives, I nevertheless highlight their ambiguity. Moreover, garnering insights from history, anthropology, critical legal studies, postcolonial and feminist theory, I argue that remnants of these attempts to reshape intimacy endure as ‘imperial debris’, contributing to the impasse in reforming the Cameroonian Family Code. Further research unearthing local historical perspectives and experiences of intimate partnerships can facilitate more egalitarian family law in Cameroon.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article explore l’impact durable des efforts déployés par l’administration du mandat français et les missionnaires spiritains pour réglementer les partenariats intimes au Cameroun français entre 1916 et 1956. En s’appuyant principalement sur des documents d’archives français, l’auteur montre comment les administrateurs et les missionnaires ont cherché à domestiquer la « modernité » à travers des activités ciblant le statut et les rôles des femmes au sein des partenariats intimes. Les Spiritains promouvaient le mariage chrétien monogame en plaidant pour un statut juridique chrétien et à travers des « écoles de fiancées », appelées sixas, qui provoquaient souvent de violents affrontements. Bien que décriant ces activités comme culturellement perturbatrices, l’administration adopta d’importantes lois sur le mariage. Bien que ces efforts soient qualifiés d’exercices de violence épistémique en raison de leur tentative d’effacement des perspectives féminines et locales plus larges, l’auteur souligne néanmoins leur ambiguïté. De plus, en s’appuyant sur l’histoire, sur l’anthropologie, sur les études juridiques critiques et sur la théorie postcoloniale et féministe, l’auteur soutient que les reliquats de ces tentatives de refaçonnage de l’intimité perdurent comme des « débris impériaux », contribuant à l’impasse dans laquelle se trouve la réforme du Code de la famille camerounais. Des recherches plus approfondies mettant au jour les perspectives historiques locales et les expériences de partenariats intimes peuvent faciliter un droit de la famille plus égalitaire au Cameroun.

Resumo

Resumo

Este artigo explora o impacto duradouro dos esforços desenvolvidos pelos administradores do mandato francês e pelos missionários espiritanos para regular as uniões íntimas nos Camarões franceses entre 1916 e 1956. Com base principalmente em material de arquivo francês, mostro como administradores e missionários procuraram domesticar a ‘modernidade’ através de actividades que visavam o estatuto e os papéis das mulheres em uniões íntimas. Os espiritanos promoviam o casamento cristão monogâmico, defendendo o estatuto legal cristão e através de ‘escolas para noivas’ chamadas sixas, que frequentemente provocavam confrontos violentos. Apesar de condenar estas actividades como culturalmente perturbadoras, a administração aprovou importantes leis sobre o casamento. Embora estes esforços sejam caracterizados como exercícios de violência epistémica devido à sua tentativa de apagar as perspectivas das mulheres e as perspectivas locais mais generalizadas, não deixo de realçar a sua ambiguidade. Para além disso, ao recolher conhecimentos da história, da antropologia, dos estudos jurídicos críticos e da teoria pós-colonial e feminista, defendo que os vestígios destas tentativas de remodelar a intimidade perduram como ‘detritos imperiais’, contribuindo para o impasse na reforma do Código da Família dos Camarões. Uma investigação mais aprofundada que revele perspectivas históricas locais e experiências de parcerias íntimas pode facilitar um direito da família mais igualitário nos Camarões.

Type
Violence and intimacy
Information
Africa , Volume 94 , Issue 1 , February 2024 , pp. 77 - 96
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the International African Institute

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