The fight for women to get into decision-making positions in Cameroon has taken another twist as the United States Embassy in Cameroon recently trained over 50 women from the North West Region to be assertive. The forum dubbed "The Gender Agenda-Gaining Momentum" was taking place for the first time out of Yaounde.
It is an initiative of the US embassy to enable the Cameroonian women put an end to gender-based violence, human trafficking, child marriage and sexual abuse. The two-day symposium in Bamenda was a rare moment for the women to share ideas on how to be more self-confident and ensured that their rights are not violated upon.
Opening the symposium, the Cultural Affairs Officer in the US Embassy, Jon Koehler said one of the goals of the US Embassy is to help women make gains in political participation, economic independence and public health. He said to achieve that goal, the US is spending over 24 million US dollars in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to prevent mother-to-child transmission as well as educating women on their legal and political rights.
However, Jon Koehler applauded the government of Cameroon for recognising the importance of women in the country's strife for economic and social development. He said through the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the Family, Cameroon has made some great strides in this domain. During her presentation, Barrister Hilda Wara Nduma called on women to construct themselves and move on. Gladys Viban was around to reveal some startling statistics that prompted the women to forge ahead.
