B: Crackdown on Acts of Violence against Women and Girls 795- The crackdown on perpetrators of violence against women and girls resulted in investigations and prosecutions in cases of denunciations, while those found guilty were sanctioned. 796- Statistics collected from the courts between 2013 and 2015 reveal that 479 cases of rape were prosecuted. In 2016, the number of sentences was 153 for 264 prosecutions compared to 146 for 309 prosecutions in 2017. 797- In 2015, approximately 35 women were victims of grievous harm, 252 of simple harm and 492 of slight harm, while in 2016, the following offences were reported with female victims: capital murder (39 women); assault occasioning death (22 women and 6 girls), grievous harm (46); trafficking in persons and slavery (7). 798- However, one of the major challenges in combating violence is the socio-cultural burden and the silence of victims who are very reluctant to report cases of violence. This situation is a hindrance to judicial response. C: Rehabilitation for Female Survivors of Violence 799- To provide holistic support to female survivors of violence, a Guide for the management of victims of gender based violence was drafted in 2016 to serve as a guideline on care and referral for various service providers. 800- In order to support survivors, 7 Call Centres were opened across the national territory to receive, counsel, manage or guide victims of GBV. In addition, 4 Gender Desks were created in humanitarian areas within police stations for a gender responsive approach to handling cases of violence against women. In 2016, about 1,574 women were received in these facilities compared to 1, 677 in 2017. 801- Moreover, other services were offered to victims for example counselling sessions and legal clinics run by some civil society organizations to provide legal aid to victims. The Cameroonian Association of Female Jurists (ACAFEJ) received 478 women in 2013 in its various branches, provided free legal aid to 44 of them and initiated 29 proceedings in court. 802- Domestic and marital violence were considered through the organisation of marriage and family counselling and therapy sessions. In 2013 for example, 5 709 cases were followed up by the competent services and this resulted in 1 935 marriage counselling sessions, 692 family counselling sessions and 243 marriage therapy. 803- To consolidate these proposals in favour of female survivors, Government, with support from the United Nations System, organised a workshop from 24 to 27 July 2018 in Yaounde to present and enrich the Essential Services Package to support women and girls. These services include health, legal and security services, social services and coordination governance. Section 3: Rights Relating to Marriage (Article 6-7) 804- Legislative and institutional measures based on the principle of gender equality were instituted before, during and after marriage. Thus, marriage and divorce are governed by the Civil Code and by Ordinance No. 81/2 of 29 June 1981 to organize civil status registration. §1: Minimum Age for Marriage 805- The age for marriage is determined in Section 52 of the afore-mentioned 1981 Ordinance which holds that the minimum age for marriage is 15 years for girls and 18 years for boys. In 133