Cameroon: Cameroon: Women Push for Greater Political Participation

In Cameroon, civil society groups marked this year's International Women's Day by urging women to register to vote and take on larger roles in decision making in their communities. Gender activist and singer Gracia Fonyuy, uses her voice in Yaounde to encourage women to stand up for their rights.

Empowerment

Part those listening to her is 45-year-old Sali Hamadikou who has, for the initial time, registered to vote.

She says the majority significant thing women completed during these activities ahead of International Women's Day is that they educated men to allow their wives and daughters to register to vote, in particular in the majority-Muslim parts of northern Cameroon where she is from and where she says men are accustomed to being dominant. She says she will continue to educate additional men.

In Cameroon, women are underrepresented on voter rolls and in decision-making circles, from village councils to parliament.

Education

Fon Fobuzie Martin Asanji is the traditional ruler of Chomba village in northwestern Cameroon. He says it is significant to encourage parents to not only send their sons to school.

"The women should empower themselves particularly educationally because you cannot be thinking of going to parliament or being a mayor at the same time as you are not educated," he said.

A local NGO, Additional Women in Politics, has organized caravans nationwide over the completed three months and held appropriate events in regional centers for women's day.

NGO president Justine Diffo says by targeting young women and girls, they intend to increase the number of women participating in elections in Cameroon to at least 60 %.

Despite making up 52 % of the adult people in Cameroon, women account for less than half of registered voters, according to figures released last year by the elections management body, ELECAM.

Political involvement

About a third of National Assembly seats are held by women, and Cameroon has just 31 female mayors out of the total 370 in the country.

Celestine Ketcha Courtes, mayor of Bangante in western Cameroon, says women need to use their numerical strength.

She says women should promote other women by helping them register to vote.She says competition with men is stiff but she says if women are united and have confidence in themselves, a woman with the will and qualifications can get elected.

That numerical strength was on display Wednesday as tens of thousands of women marched in regional centers and the capital.The government pledged to support efforts to offer equal opportunity to women and girls.