Hundreds of grassroot women, June 19, 2024, gathered at the National Museum in Yaounde, Cameroon, to celebrate the achievements recorded by their efforts in peace building. The women drawn from Cameroon’s Northwest, Southwest, Littoral and West Regions showcased practical aspects of their peace initiative during an exhibition dubbed “National Women, Peace, and Security Fair”. The success in peace building is the result of a project known as “Promoting WPS Through a Culture of Peace and Social Cohesion in Cameroon”, where WPS stands for Women, Peace and Security.
The project was funded by Global Affairs Canada, executed by Reach Out Cameroon under the Executive Director, Esther Omam Njomo thus the peace successes were celebrated to mark a fulfilling end of the project. Present to celebrate the peace strides were the Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon, Her Excellency Lorraine Anderson, the Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family, Marie Therese Abena Ondoa, the Minister of Arts and Culture, Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Mkpattthe, the Country Representative of the UN Women and some diplomats.
Peace Successes Recorded by Grassroot Women
The success narratives are about aspects previously dominated by men but now made open to women thanks to sensitization and mediation. The amplification of the voices of women in decision making, the representation of women in traditional councils, the achievement of inclusion for people who were biasedly socially isolated and the empowerment of women with skills that has brought financial independence. The physical elements of these strides were presented as various women groups displayed documents of their work and trade items produced for economic empowerment.
Reach Out Cameroon, worked with multiple community women to break barriers and attain the successes. While voicing the achievement, the women thanked Global Affairs Canada for lacing with Reach Out Cameroon to bring about community transformation.
Speaking during the session, the Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family saluted the two organizations that partnered to improve on the social and economic status of women, while also appreciating the effort of women in realizing true peace.
“today you can see the transformation.
You have women who have been included in decision making processes at the level of their communities like engaging with traditional councils. You have women who have been made quarter heads like in Nkongsamba. We have women who have hectares of land. We have communities where disability has now become history and they are living in harmony. We have communities where host communities did not want to see internally displaced persons but today they live in harmony. So for us it is very successful so we are thankful and happy for that” Esther Omam Njomo, summed up the realisations.
Her Excellency Lorraine Anderson, said the project has changed mindsets and build capacities. She explained that, the WPS agenda is to build sustainable peace, human rights and gender equality while assuring the women that, the government of Canada shall continue to support them.
The project to Promote women peace and security through a culture of peace and social cohesion took off in July 2022, and it’s been implemented across 40 conflict-affected communities of the North West, South West, West and Littoral regions of Cameron. The choice of the regions were driven by the Anglophone crisis and increasing conflicts recorded. The areas are now considered peace hubs thanks to the peace initiatives applied and sustained.
By Mildred Wung