Auteur/autrice : TimesNews2

During the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an annual campaign that takes place from November 25 to December 10, RADD organized a series of activities with women, actors affected by agro-industries, and major projects in Cameroon. The Network of Sustainable Development Actors known by its French acronym RADD, the Journalists for Earth Association (J4E), the Association for the Defense of Human Rights (APPDH-Assistance and eight (8) associations of women living around industrial plantations in Cameroon say STOP!!! As part of activities to mark 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence, GBV coupled with the international day on the elimination of violence against women, on November 25, 2022, under the theme: “Ending violence against women and girls in the context of climate change”, RADD and its various partners launched series of activities for the 16 days of activism against GBV. On day one, RADD, J4E, APPDH-Assistance, and 8 neighborhood women associations living around industrial plantations took an active part in the activism campaign against violence. The campaign launched was aimed at raising awareness and denouncing different abuses and outrages suffered by women and girls living near large monoculture tree plantations. The objective of this campaign, which begins on November 25, 2022, is to encourage women to continue the fight to safeguard their fundamental rights and their vital resources; to take public opinion to witness and call on governments and donors to increase measures and means to protect women and young girls living near major projects, the precariousness of which is increasing with climate change. The call made was to provide local residents with tree monoculture plantations in Cameroon. They said extractive industries such as dam projects, extraction of natural gas, coal, and oil, major deforestation for large monoculture tree plantations, infrastructure projects, etc. which are carried by our states and are the main culprits of climate change. These large projects in villages monopolize most of the time essential resources (land, forests, water, air, etc.) used by women and young girls to develop their means of living and to be autonomous, and sheltered from violence. of all kinds and particularly economic violence. RADD and partners denounce the fact that the State does not guarantee these local women deprived of their resources substantial lasting compensation. As a result, women find themselves abandoned to themselves, risking the worst violence and frustrations of all kinds that undermine their dignity. Activities marking Day two were focused on the theme: “My land, my life, my workplace” According to these networks and associations, large-scale plantation development involves the grabbing of traditional customary lands and the destruction of forests and resources that rural women and girls have in their families’ livelihoods. To stop this: We, the neighborhood women say STOP to grabbing by agro-industries and major projects! Respect the minimum strip of 5km around our villages On Day three focused on the theme: “My water, my life”, it was outlined that Agro-industrial plantations and major projects consume more than half of the world’s drinking water resources, and are responsible for the pollution of surrounding water and groundwater, causing suffering and disease to small farmers and their families. Women and young girls are particularly affected by the consequent violence of this scarcity of drinking water around industrial plantations. This situation is worsening with climate change. To stop this: “We, the women living near agro industries and major projects, say STOP to the grabbing and pollution of water!!!” That the agro-industries build boreholes for the benefit of the neighbouring villages and that the polluter pays principle applies. “My health, My life” was theme highlighted on day four by these networks which said large-scale plantations and large projects have a negative impact on women’s health. Companies do not keep the promise to provide efficient health services to local residents. However, many diseases arise as a result of soil and water pollution by chemical inputs from business activities. To stop this: We, neighbourhood women of agro industries and major projects say STOP to the destruction of the physical and mental health of local women and girls. That agro-industries build and equip health centers for the benefit of local residents. Activities of day 5 centered on the theme: “My good, My life” as stated by these various associations and networks who believe that the implementation of large-scale plantations and major projects are, because of the destruction of goods and resources and the monopolization that it entails, the cause of famines, economic shortages and poverty of the local populations. To stop this: We, the women living near agro-industries and major projects, say STOP to famine and the impoverishment of our families and YES to inclusive and sustainable development. Day six’ theme was on: My freedom, My life. The agro-industrial companies disseminate barriers and enclosures in the public passageways, dig trenches 4m long and deep in the village said RADD and partners. These restrictions on freedom of movement are amplified by incessant and outrageous checks. The people living near these plantations are forced to travel long distances to access their traditional activities. They end up in green prisons. These numerous attacks on individual freedoms result in the frustration, misery and economic dependence of women and young girls. To stop this: We, the women living near agro industries and major projects, say STOP to attacks on individual freedoms! Freedom of movement is a fundamental Human right.  “Violation of religious and cultural places”, it was the theme chosen to highlight day seven activities. It is said the establishment of agro-industries has taken place without taking into account worship and cultural sites. It literally destroyed the sacred sites, the trees planted on the graves and the places of worship, all this in defiance of the attachment of these citizens to their cultural values. To stop this: We, the women living near agro industries and major projects, say STOP to the violation of religious and cultural sites in these industrial plantations. The cultural and natural heritage of a people is an inalienable good, necessary for its social

Les 20 et 21 Décembre 2022, un colloque international sur les violences en milieu scolaire au Cameroun s’est tenu à Yaoundé à l’initiative d’une collaboration stratégique entre le Fond du Secrétariat Général des Nations Unies pour la Paix et le Ministère des Enseignements Secondaires. L’objectif des travaux est de réduire à sa plus simple expression le phénomène des violences scolaires. Selon le contexte, ces dernières années scolaires ont été marquées par des faits divers qui racontent des actes de violences dans l’enceinte de nombreux établissements scolaires à travers le Cameroun. Plus de 10 cas d’actes de cruauté ont alimenté les colonnes des journaux et suscité un tollé général au sein du pays. Des faits dont les auteurs sont des élèves et leurs camarades et, de plus en plus, leurs encadreurs ceci à la faveur du développement fulgurant des réseaux sociaux. La variante des vidéos sexuelles est apparue des nouvelles formes de violence. La conférence internationale de Yaoundé a réuni plus de 150 acteurs des « différents segments de la société camerounaise… des parlementaires, des enseignants du secondaire et du supérieur, des élèves, des parents, des représentants des forces de sécurité, des membres d’organisations de la société civile et des partenaires au développement ». La cérémonie protocolaire d’ouverture a connu la présence de la Ministre des Enseignements Secondaires, le Pr Nalova Lyonga, le Ministre de l’Enseignement Supérieur, Ministre d’Etat, le Pr Jacques Fame Ndongo, La Ministre de la Promotion de la Femme et de la Famille, Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoa et la Ministre des Affaires Sociales, Pauline Irène Nguéné. Les Ministres de l’éducation de Base et de la Jeunesse et de l’éducation Civique se sont fait représenter respectivement. La cartographie de la violence scolaire a été présentée par Bernadette Mbiah Sansi, Directeur de l’orientation, de la vie et de l’Assistance scolaires au Ministère des Enseignements secondaires. Elle dit : « la violence est un fait social. L’école est dans la société et donc les actes de violences qui se produisent dans la société se reproduisent forcément à l’école. L’école est un microcosme de la Société et il est difficile d’identifier les causes de la violence scolaire qui exclue les causes de la violence en société. C’est les mêmes causes c’est-à-dire un mal être selon les cliniciens. Un individu qui commet des actes de violences est un individu mal dans son être et qui a des problèmes de santé mentale. L’environnement lui-même est devenu violent vous partez de votre maison au travail vous vous faites insulter dix mille fois par des jeunes Camerounais et donc ces élèves vivent dans cette société là… » Elle précise dans son exposé liminaire que 70 pour cent des violences sont issues de l’enseignement secondaire général et 30 pour cent de l’enseignement secondaire technique. En dehors du panel d’honneur essentiellement constitué des membres du gouvernement, 4 autres panels ont porté les travaux à travers des thématiques d’analyse de la situation et de proposition des solutions. Des élèves ont présenté des témoignages émouvants tout comme des enseignants et autres experts. La principale résolution de ces travaux de deux jours, est de susciter la prise de conscience de toute la communauté éducative nationale sur l’intérêt de mutualiser les forces pour ramener à sa portion la plus congrue, la violence en milieu scolaire dans le pays. « Un travail ardue » confie un syndicaliste de l’éducation, participant au colloque. Par Jean Patient Tsala

A global initiative program for early childhood development dubbed: “Thrive by Five” was officially presented in Yaounde, Cameroon on Wednesday 7th December 2022 during a ceremony chaired by Social Affairs Minister, Pauline Irene Nguene. Thanks to the Kalkaba Development Initiative, KDI, Cameroon is today the first country in the French-speaking African region to benefit from the Thrive by Five program which is being rolled out in some 30 countries. The Thrive by Five program launched in Yaounde during a colorful ceremony that gathered government officials and various key actors will be fast-tracked by KDI who partnered with Australian philanthropic organization, Minderoo Foundation. From information granted to the audience present at the official launch, the program seeks to raise global awareness of the early years of a child and the necessity to empower parents and caregivers through a variety of channels both digital and non-digital in their own language and individually tailored to meet a particular country’s language, cultural and social requirements. The Thrive by Five program as underscored by KDI is underpinned by three core products which are: the thrive by five app for parents and caregivers of children aged between 0 to 5 years; the support of the thrive by five content disseminated via online and offline channels for increased accessibility and the thrive by five TED talk by Molly Wright. Founder and President of KDI, Mr. Hamad Kalkaba Malboum in his keynote address outlined the increasing need to support underprivileged children who dream also of a brighter future. He said: “A country’s future and prosperity lies in the hands of its children. In Cameroon, more than 40 percent of the population is 14 years old or younger. It is scientifically proven that the first five years of a child’s life are crucial to their brain development, yet many children in our country are unable to attend early childhood education, and many parents do not know how important interactions with their children are for their development.” He further said this innovative program will positively impact the development of childhood in Cameroon. “We are proud to launch this program in Cameroon, together with our friends at Minderoo Foundation, to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of the first five years, because we believe that it will help create a better future for the people of Cameroon.” He added. The President of KDI, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum equally praised the existing and fruitful partnership sealed with the government through the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Women’s empowerment and the family. On his part, Francis Ogutu, Minderoo’s Director for Africa outlined the importance of this program just launched in Cameroon which has a young vibrant population. Cameroon’s Minister of Social Affairs said this partnership comes at the right time and it will help reinforce the multiple actions carried out by the government and precisely by her ministerial department that is in charge of questions of childhood. Minister Nguene said: “Thrive By Five, as you have seen in previous screenings, is an initiative focused on the inclusive development of early childhood (0-5 years).  In a context marked by increased globalization with the corollary and the exponential development of new communication technologies, received ideas, and real impacts on the psychological and psychic construction of the child, exposing him/her to multiple flows of information. It was important, even necessary, to rethink the strategy of giving our children a better way of seeing the world in which they live through programs and contents…” Pauline Irene Nguene went further to underscore the need for these multi-educational contents to be scaled up to make room for lessons corresponding to the cultural and economic specificities and the priorities of each child. “This necessitates the development and implementation of the Thrive by Five application as a beginning of an effective response to this global challenge of children’s education and it is the result of the hard work of Cameroonian and Australian experts in the process of contextualizing the application. Thus, beyond the qualitative gain for the development of the child and the family in general, as we have just seen, the benefits of this project for Cameroon are invaluable quantitatively, because the children of today are the future of our country. As such, I would like not only to congratulate the people in charge of KDI, for this opportunity they are offering to Cameroonian children but also, to praise their patriotic spirit for the partnership they have engaged in with the MINDEROO FOUNDATION to see Cameroonian families benefit from the experience of those in Australia, thank you again.” She indicated. Social Affairs’ Boss reiterated the fact that this program falls in line with Cameroon’s new development objectives contained in the 2020-2030 strategy with a focus on human capital to ensure that vulnerable groups or communities have the means and skills to live healthily. Let us recall that KDI and the Ministry of Social Affairs signed on June 2022 a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU which incorporates this program. KDI was founded in 2007 by Mr. Kalkaba Malboum who is a public figure well-known for his contributive actions in the sports and social milieus. Elise Flore Kenimbeni

Cameroon’s Minister women’s empowerment and the family, Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa officially launched on December 6, 2022, in Yaounde, the national mapping of Gender-Based Violence service providers as part of activities marking the 16 days of Activism. The initiative that has been put in place by the Ministry of women’s empowerment and the family has officially seen the daylight thanks to the support of the World Bank, one of the numerous key partners of Cameroon’s government. The mapping of Gender-Based Violence, GBV service providers in Cameroon as indicated, is aimed at assessing the services that have been set up throughout the country and strengthening the response for the victims and survivors of GBV. Speaking on Tuesday 6th December 2022 in Yaounde, Minister of women’s empowerment and the family, Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa said this nationwide project that is very crucial to the government is to: exchange on the challenges related to the fight against GBV; create awareness among key actors and partners on the importance of data in the fight against GBV and to foster a framework for exchange between key actors in the fight against GBV, partners and the media, in order to give visibility to the initiative undertaken. She said: “This programme will be the operational tool of the national strategy to combat GBV and the action plan for the elimination of female genital mutilation. Its objective is to coordinate the actions of government, development partners and civil society organizations in the national response to the increased vulnerability of women and girls caused by GBV, in a humanitarian context resulting from socio-political crises and COVID-19. Planned for the period 2023-2026, this programme focuses on the consolidation of the achievements of close or similar programmes, the pooling of programmatic approaches in order to optimize results…” Madame Abena Ondoa praised the World Bank, United Nations Population Fund, and United Nations Women for their push and continuous support to the government in improving on the holistic management of victims and survivors of GBV in Cameroon. United Nations System Coordinator spokesperson, Mrs Noemi Delmonte who is UNFPA’s Deputy Representative in Cameroon said the initiative that officially takes off will help to: fill in the gaps, limit the increasing cases of GBV, reinforce strategies to combat the scourge and create more room for community-based activities, especially in humanitarian settings. Despite the numerous challenges that still hinder the fight against GBV in Cameroon, Mrs Delmonte believes collective actions and effective engagement from different actors will greatly impact on this move. World Bank’s Director of operations, Mr. Seck Abdoulaye said the fight against GBV requires a multisectoral response, reason why the World Bank stands beside the government of Cameroon to grant its financial support and technical contribution. In his address, he pointed out the significant actions carried out by the World Bank since 2017 in Cameroon in terms of prevention and mitigation of GBV risk and projects implanted in some targeted areas of the country. He said: “The world Bank Group considers that no country, community or economy can achieve its potential or meet the challenges of the 21st century without the full and equal participation of women and men, girls and boys. It is committed to closing the gaps between males and females globally for a lasting impact in tackling poverty and driving sustainable economic growth that benefits all…” Abdoulaye Seck added that a report released by the World Bank Group estimates the costs of intimate partner violence at up to 3.7 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, GDP. In Cameroon, statistics from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) indicate that, in terms of domestic violence, more than four out of ten (44%) women aged 15-49 in a union or in a broken union reported having experienced violence, be it emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse, at some point by a current or most recent husband/partner and 32% of cases are recent, that is in the last 12 months. The most common forms of domestic violence for women are physical (34%), emotional (29%), and sexual abuse (10%).  Elise Flore Kenimbeni

Dans le cadre de la campagne des 16 jours d’activisme contre les Violences Basées sur le Genre, la DR-MINPROFF, Plan International Cameroon et le Haut-commissariat des Nations unies pour les Refugies(HCR) ont organisé le 6 décembre 2022, un atelier de sensibilisation des jeunes filles et garçons dans l’arrondissement de Yaoundé 3eme.  « Œuvrons ensemble pour mettre fin à la violence faite aux femmes et jeunes filles » tel est le thème choisi par la délégation régionale de la promotion de la femme et de la famille pour le Centre en collaboration avec Plan International Cameroon et le Haut-commissariat des Nations unies pour les Refugies(HCR), ceci dans le cadre d’une série d’activités visant à promouvoir et protéger les femmes et jeunes filles contre toutes formes d’atteintes à leurs droits et à leur dignité. Le Mardi 6 décembre 2022, c’est le siège du centre de la promotion de la femme et de la famille(CPFF) de l’arrondissement de Yaoundé III qui a abrite l’atelier de sensibilisation sur ledit thème. L’atelier qui a réuni près de 40 femmes, jeunes filles et garçons était l’occasion de palper les réalités que rencontrent de nombreuses personnes déplacées interne (PDI) et refugies qui sont le plus souvent au cœur de ces violences. Selon Monique Makon, assistante sociale Plan international Cameroon/HCR, il était question d’outiller les différentes cibles sur la thématique des Violences Basées sur le Genre(VBG) en général et de les sensibiliser davantage sur la prévention de ce fléau qui mine notre société. L’assistante sociale a indiqué que cette activité qui se tient dans le cadre des 16 jours d’activisme fait partie des nombreuses activités portées par Plan International et le HCR notamment dans des zones ou des refugies et personnes déplacées interne(PDI) y figurent pour un impact positif. « Nous souhaitons que ces différentes communautés sensibilisées soient dans leur entourage, environnement des leaders et surtout qu’ils sachent à quel moment se produit un VBG et ou se diriger en cas d’un VBG. » Dit-elle. L’atelier présidé par Elie Nguele, Délégué régional de la promotion de la femme et de la famille pour le Centre a permis aux différents participants de mettre sur la table de nombreux cas de VBG que ceux-ci vivent au quotidien. « Je connais une voisine qui repassait les seins de sa fille ! » a dévoilé une participante dans la salle. Une pratique condamnable par le gouvernement camerounais qui continue pourtant de faire son nid dans certaines communautés du fait de certaines croyances et traditions. Des jeunes filles telles que Elodie, réfugiée Tchadienne qui a pris part à cette activité a apprécié cette initiative qui selon elle lui a permis d’appréhender d’une autre façon les VBG. La jeune élève d’une vingtaine d’années pense que cet atelier va également lui donner des armes afin de lutter à sa manière contre les violences de toutes formes en milieu scolaire et même et en famille. Monsieur Nguele Elie, le Délégué régional a appelé tous les participants à dénoncer ces violences néfastes qui sévit dans leur environnement ou milieu de vie, ou encore que ces derniers qui subissent ces pratiques alertent les autorités compétentes afin que les auteurs soient punis. Aux sorties de l’atelier, le patron de la promotion de la femme et de la famille dans la région du Centre s’est réjoui de la collaboration fructueuse qui existe avec Plan Cameroon et le HCR au vu des activités génératrices de revenus qui permettent à plusieurs PDI et refugies de s’autonomiser, une forme de lutte contre les VBG. Elie Nguele souligne le fait que les CPFF sont des espaces d’accueil pour l’autonomisation des jeunes filles et garçons. « Comme vous le savez nous avons des centres de formations et dans la région du Centre, nous avons 26 centres de la promotion de la femme et de la famille. Ce sont des espaces qui donnent justement la possibilité aux personnes en situation difficile et également aux jeunes filles et garçons hors du système scolaire de bénéficier des différentes formations qui sont offertes. Pour ce qui est du cas spécifique des refugies et en partenariat avec le HCR et Plan Cameroon, ces personnes bénéficient déjà de plusieurs formations dans nos centres mais également des appuis pour leurs installations. Parce que une chose est de former quelqu’un mais une chose est également de l’aider à s’insérer dans le marché de l’emploi. Et dans le cadre de la journée de la femme africaine célébrée le 31 juillet dernier, beaucoup de femmes refugies ont reçu une formation en aquaculture. Et nous espérons que cette formation leur sera bénéfique… » Une fois de plus, Madame Makon a ajouté à la fin de la rencontre qu’il est important qu’un suivi soit fait sur des cas qui sont reportés par les victimes ce qui va encourager d’autres à dénoncer. Elle dit : « Lors de nos échanges nous avons constatés qu’il ya des cas de VBG mais ces personnes n’ont aucune référence et bien même quand il y’a référence, il n’ya pas de suivi. Alors, dans le cadre de nos activités nous voulons accentuer notre plaidoyer à l’endroit de nos partenaires pour le suivi des cas et de trouver des solutions pour ces nombreuses victimes de VBG » Cet atelier riche en échanges et recommandations a été clôturé par une remise d’un important lot de dons au CPFF de Yaoundé 3eme. La Directrice qui a réceptionné les dons a salué l’accompagnement de Plan International et le HCR qui viennent enrichir la salle d’informatique en matériels. Pour rappel, la campagne annuelle internationale dénommé : « 16 Jours d’activisme contre la violence basée sur le genre à l’égard des femmes et des filles » démarre le 25 novembre de chaque année, à l’occasion de la Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la violence à l’égard des femmes, et prend fin le 10 décembre, qui marque la Journée des droits Humains. Cette campagne a été lancée par des activistes lors de l’inauguration de l’institut international pour le leadership des femmes en 1991. Par Jean-Patient Tsala

Social Affairs Minister, Pauline Irene Nguene was speaking on Saturday 3rd December 2022 in Yaounde during the official celebration of the 31st edition of the international day of persons with disabilities, IDPD. Activities to officially mark the 31st edition of the international day of persons living with disabilities took place on Saturday, 3rd December 2022 at the courtyard of the national rehabilitation center for persons with disabilities in Etoug-Ebe, Yaounde. This year’s edition was placed under the theme: “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world“. As underscored by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the United Nations calls on States to seek innovative solutions and to take sustainable measures to improve the living conditions of persons with disabilities, by engaging in interactive dialogues on the themes of Innovation for disability-inclusive development in employment (SDG8) and Innovation for disability-inclusive development in reducing inequalities (SDG10). The ceremony punctuated by several articulations was another occasion seized by persons with disabilities, PWD to voice out the numerous issues that affect them notably the precarious situations in which many are entangled due to lack of employment. Spokesperson of PWDs and by the way President of a network of associations of women living with disabilities in Cameroon known by its French acronym RAFHCAM said despite the various efforts undertaken so far by the government to protect and promote the rights of PWDs, there are quite challenging issues that still need to be uplifted. Mrs. Djuimo Odette said: “We still face physical and psychological obstacles which prevent us from fully enjoying our various rights notably in the domains of education, decent employment, sports and leisure, community goods and services, access to information for some who lack adapted materials for translation just to name these few…Persons with disabilities are generally subject to discrimination and marginalization even in terms of decision-making in groups.” While outlining the different problems faced by PWDs in Cameroon, Mrs. Djuimo Odette equally challenged the government to transfer some competencies to other ministries which do not have inclusive programs and projects for the disabled. She pointed out that all worries are carried to the Ministry of Social Affairs which to her is a small ministerial department that takes into account all issues affecting PWDs. “There is no development without persons with disabilities.” Said Minister Pauline Irene Nguene in her introductory note. Cameroon’s Minister of Social Affairs indicated some key figures in her address. She said in 2017, the population of Cameroon was estimated at twenty-three million two hundred and forty-eight thousand four (23.248.004) inhabitants and if we apply the ratio of the World Report on Disability (15%) to these demographic data, Cameroon has almost three million four hundred and eighty-seven thousand two hundred (3.487.200) people with at least one disability. As stated by the Minister, this is a significant figure of our population that should not be left aside. “Persons with disabilities should have the same privileges as normal persons. And the theme chosen this year is another call to action. We should act together for an inclusive society.” said Madame Nguene. Social Affairs’ patroness said: “This year’s theme is built around two keywords that are: “innovation” and “transformative solutions” to achieve inclusive development based on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 8 and 10 which respectively prescribe to States to achieve full and productive employment and ensure decent work and equal pay for work of equal value for all women and men, including youth and persons with disabilities; Empower all people and promote their social, economic and political integration, irrespective of age, gender, disability…” “The celebration of the international day of persons with disabilities is part of the continued implementation of the policy of social justice and national solidarity advocated by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul BIYA, which promotes the contribution of all to economic growth, every one according to his or her possibilities and capacities. It is notably marked by the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, relating to the rights of these people. Besides, the IDPD 2022 is part of the operationalization of the orientations of the National Development Strategy 2020 – 2030 for structural transformation and inclusive development, which aim at the development of human capital and the well-being of the populations.” She added. Another point on the agenda of this ceremony was the official handing over of end of courses attestations to some seven young girls of the “Bobine d’Or” inclusive training center of Ekounou in Yaounde 4. And to drop curtains on the 31st edition of the international day of persons with disabilities, the Minister visited the stands of PWDs who showcased their arts of works. Elise Kenimbeni

Minister of women’s empowerment and the family, Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa on Friday 25th November 2022 in Yaounde, Cameroon urged all key actors to mutualize efforts in order to bring at the heels Gender-based violence. Activities marking the international day for the elimination of violence against women and the 16th edition of the global campaign dubbed: “16 days of activism against violence on women and girls” were officially launched on Friday 25th November 2022 in Yaounde, Cameroon by Minister of women’s empowerment and the family, Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa. The campaign that runs from November 25 to December 10 is this year placed under the theme: “Let us join forces to end violence against women and girls.” Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Abena Ondoa Marie-Therese said the fight against Gender-Based violence, GBV remains one of the core priorities of her ministerial department and government as a whole as coordinated actions have been put in place to end this scourge. She said the government with the support of its technical and financial partners has recently elaborated the 2022-2026 National Strategic Plan for the fight against Gender-Based Violence and a National Plan of Action to tackle female genital mutilations. In her address, MINPROFF underscored some relevant challenges such as the environmental, health, security, and climate change crises that accentuate all forms of GBV on women and girls notably in the North-West, South-West, and Far-North regions which are rocked by the crises. The Minister equally indicated that the government is inclined on uplifting legal challenges to restore the dignity of women and girls. “At the national level, the principle of gender equality is affirmed in the Constitution of Cameroon adopted in 1972 and revised in 1996 and 2008. Although there is no specific law that punishes violence against women, the legal framework for the protection of women against attacks on their dignity and physical integrity was strengthened with the adoption in 2016 of Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 on the Penal Code. However, more efforts need to be made to domesticate the provisions of ratified international conventions and align them with the national legal framework. The revision of the Civil Code, which has been underway for several years, the drafting of new texts integrating the relevant provisions of the CEDAW, such as the Persons and Family Code, and the bill of law on the repression of gender-based violence are hopeful for the many victims…” Minister Abena Ondoa outlined. GBV rates on alert As indicated in a report from the Ministry of women’s empowerment and the family, violence against women and girls is still a reality in Cameroon and key figures show how challenging is the situation nationwide. The report states that: “The 2018 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) indicates that 39% of women and 42% of men aged 15-49 years reported having experienced physical violence from individuals, since the age of 15. Furthermore, 18% of women and 14% of men experienced such violence in the last 12 months of the survey. It should be noted that the percentage of women aged 15-49 who experienced physical violence from individuals in the 12 months prior to the survey increased from the 2004 DHS-III to the 2011 DHS-MICS, from 21% to 27%; then it dropped to 18% in the 2018 DHS-V.” Added to the above statistics, MINPROFF states that domestic violence is predominant and is even the cause of several deaths. “In terms of domestic violence, more than four out of ten (44%) women aged 15-49 in a union or in a broken union reported having experienced violence, be it emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse, at some point by a current or most recent husband/partner and 32% of cases are recent, that is in the last 12 months. The most common forms of domestic violence for women are physical (34%), emotional (29%), and sexual abuse (10%).  The results for men show that one-third (33%) of men in a union or relationship breakdown have experienced emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse, at some point from a current or most recent wife/partner and 22% of cases are recent, that is within the last 12 months. Men mostly reported experiencing emotional abuse (30% at some point and 18% recently) compared to 12% and 7% respectively for physical violence. Compared to women, the percentages of men who experienced physical violence are about three times lower (12% and 7% compared to 34% and 20%). The DHS-V data also reveals that among women aged 15-49 who are currently pregnant or have been pregnant, 7% reported having experienced physical violence during pregnancy, regardless of the perpetrator.” UNiTE Campaign The “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence” is an international campaign launched in 1991 by activists from the Women’s Global Leadership Institute to protect women’s rights and prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. In support of this civil society initiative, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres is calling for global action to raise awareness, galvanize advocacy efforts, and share knowledge and innovations to end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) once and for all through the global UNiTE campaign against violence on women and girls launched in 2008. It is a multi-year advocacy effort for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls worldwide. “UNiTE” calls on governments, development actors, civil society, women’s organizations, youth, the private sector, the media, and the entire UN system to join forces to combat violence against women and girls. The dates of 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and 10 December, International Human Rights Day, marking the beginning and end of the Campaign respectively, were chosen to symbolically create a link between violence against women and girls and human rights. Thus, emphasis is placed on the fact that such violence is a violation of human rights. The sixteen-day period also highlights other significant dates, such as 29 November, International Human Rights Defenders Day, and 1 December, World AIDS Day. Elise Kenimbeni