EMPOWERING WOMEN FROM GRASSROOT

EMPOWERING WOMEN FROM GRASSROOT

In the South West Provincial headquarters of Cameroon, Buea, the Provincial Delegation of Women Empowerment and the family embarked on a scheme to consolidate women with a vision to empower them with certain skills and also promote their socio- economic activities.

The President of this forum known as the Buea Women’s Forum is the Provincial Delegate of Women Empowerment and the Family, Mrs. Dr Niger Thomas Margaret Ebai Likowo . The forum is divided in to eleven zones and some zones have up to fifty groups. The Coordinator of the forum is the Sub-divisional Delegate for Buea, Ms Clara Manga popularly referred to as Aunty Claire.

The organigram is divided as such – Forum – congress – advisory board – zones. Each zone have monthly gathering, while the advisory board which comprise of thirteen members meets after every three months and congress holds once each year to evaluate the activities of the forum. An extra ordinary meeting could be convened for women information and coordination. Each zone has an executive in the advisory board. Memberships are usually social groups and Non- governmental Organisations (NGOs).

Generally, the activities of this forum includes: –
- Increase in zonal visits
- Promote exchange
- Review the activities of women’s groups in radio programs
- The reinforcement of a loan scheme act
- Organise open day activities for the forum
- Organise Education and training programmes. This involves many groups in the forum to actually participate like in gender leadership.
- To celebrate the various days for continuity like Mothers Day, African Women’s Day, International Women’s Day, Rural Women’s Day and so on.
- Inviting group forum for all classes – economic, social, cultural profession.
- Discuss women and family issues like training on income generating activities, health issues featuring topics on menopause, HIV/AIDS and breast cancer.

In the credit scheme there are fifty groups involve in economic activities and the money the credit scheme dish out range from about $10.00 - $100.00 with an interest rate of 25 percent on any $2.00.
To become a member each group is expected to pay about $2.00 and an annual dues of about $4.00.

Seminars and workshops on snail rearing, mushroom growing, entrepreneurship development, women leadership and others have also been organized for the benefit of the members of the forum. During some zonal meetings issues raised were, the creation of a center for home care and personal health care, discussions on early motherhood, HIV/AIDS, grants to improve farming condition and sole proprietorship for farmers and petite traders, decentralization of seminars, solidarity amongst women and for women to have one voice.

There are about six women empowerment centers in Cameroon established by the Ministry of Women Empowerment and family.
According to the Coordinator, the outcome of the forum has been very positive, for women who could not express themselves do so now in a more sensible manner, nonetheless as expected, there are problems like lack of commitment of group activities.

The forum has partners with training organizations and building capacity of women organizations such as – Women Information and Coordination Forum (WICOF) South west, Cameroon Gender and Development Network (CAMGAGNET) and German Partners (DSE).
The main reason for this partnership is for Cameroonian women to be interested in decision making positions and seeking to train political aspirants and women leaders on their political rights