Visionary Reports

A planning meeting to this effect took place in Yaoundé on February 8, 2021.

 The ongoing crisis in Cameroon especially the Anglophone crisis has exposed the vulnerability of women during war. Women are the target of  numerous atrocities perpetrated in  the current armed conflicts in Cameroon.  They are excessively affected by these conflicts, as both victims and actors. From Boko-Haram violent extremism to the Anglophone secessionist crisis, shocking videos of  women  being  mutilated  have circulated on social media. Images of women killed with babies on their backs in the Far North Region; women butchered, like Mrs. Florence Ayafor in  the  North-West  Region;  children killed in schools like the case of the eight pupils in Kumba, babies shot dead in their sleep like baby Martha in Muyuka; women been raped and beheaded like  35 year Confort Tumassang, people buried alive like 18-year-old Keng Diana in Kumba and a lot more.

With all these shocking happenings women have been on the forefront clamouring for peace to return in Cameroon. Their efforts have been divergent in the different regions.  This time around women working for peace have decided to organize a peace convention that will bring women from all the 10 regions, 58 divisions and 360 sub divisions of Cameroon. The convention which will be peg on the theme “Enhancing women’s inclusive and effective participation in conflict resolution and responsive advocacy on peace building in Cameroon” is aimed at  ensuring that more  women and girls  become major actors in the peace building processes in Cameroon.

In effect, a planning meeting towards the convention took place in Yaoundé Cameroon on February 8 2021. The meeting that brought together 35 women associations and networks working for peace all over the 10 regions of Cameroon was sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung -FES. During the meeting, the women leaders mapped out strategies on how to make the convention a success.   The Resident Representative of FES Cameroon and Central Africa Ms Nina Netzer, disclosed that the meeting was to build a strong force of women peace builders in Cameroon. She added that the women have to concert and bring their ideas together an act as one voice.

During the meeting the women leaders agreed to bring women from all walks of lives, disabled as well as grassroots women. They also agreed to  keep their political affiliation aside and work for the good of humanity and contribute to add their voice  so as to bring back the much needed peace in Cameroon. It was also agreed that the convention will brainstorm on roles played by women in past and current crises in Cameroon, share best practices on mediation and advocacy  techniques  in  conflict management, define  a  strategic  plan  of  action  for women’s  effective  response  in  conflict resolution in Cameroon.

By Gina ESONG

VIEWS

  “We want to send a stronger massage for peace”

 -Nina Netzer- FES Resident Representative for Cameroon and Central Africa

 “We realized that there are a lot of women peace initiatives in Cameroon.  The women are powerful and they have a lot of brilliant ideas so we decided to unit them and send a strong signal that the women of this country are tired of the bloodshed and want peace to return to this country. I think this convention will be different because we want to bring all the women from all kinds of society and from all the corners of society. We want every woman on board to make a very strong call from women for peace.  Before now some people have been working for peace but this time we want a concerted effort”

 “The convention will set a new Dimension for peace efforts”

-Rosaline Obah- Young African Congress Network, YAWC  President -Cameroon

“This convention is going to set a new dimension in efforts towards peace by the women peace builders in Cameroon. I remain positive because we a have had different agendas, different plans and methodologies   on peace action on the field. I believe that harnessing under one umbrella with one mission and vision towards the restoration of peace in Cameroon is worthy. This is a very good step for all women peace builders in Cameroon. I think with this convention all our ideas and actions will be harnessed and we will have the much needed peace. We will come out with concrete strategies towards peace. Coming together we are going to bury our differences and work as one woman. We are working now as a Cameroonian community and not just as women from the North West and South West”  

 “Our force will make a great difference -Agbor Magdeline –  Chief Executive officer  Changing Mentalities And Empowering Groups- CHAMEG

“Today have brought together women who have worked for peace in their different corners but we are yet to concert our efforts so as to create the necessary impact. We want to come out with a voice that will work for the interest of all. The upcoming convention is going to allow women to assert themselves, it’s going to  pull more force for both the international body and the government to listen to the voices of women. It is not that they have not been listening, but this time around when they will see the force  we will present this time is going to make a great difference”. 

“We want to walk the talk and change the narratives” Muma Bih Yvonne- CAWOPEM

“We the women have been carrying out actions towards peace but as one voice we have never been heard, concerted action has never taken place.  When the voices of women from the 10 regions of Cameroon will be echoing, the impact will be huge. Every Cameroonian will be sensitized, women voices are the voices of the people.  The convention will showcase the ability  of women working for peace. As women we can unite , walk the talk and change the narratives”.

 Views collected by GINA ESONG