Upcoming, 1st National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon.
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On the 29, 30 and 31 July 2021, The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), a German-based organisation that bases its work on freedom, equality, social justice, and solidarity will bring together more than 1000 women from across the ten regions of Cameroon to contribute meaningfully to ending the security crises and make an unequivocal call for peace now.
This convention is the first initiative of its kind taking into consideration the rise of security changes in the country. The armed conflict in the North West and South West Regions, the Bokoharam insurgency in the Far North Region, insecurity in the East Region and the political and socioeconomic crisis in the country have continued to pose a threat to peace in Cameroon.
Women have a very important role to play towards achieving a sustainable future and peaceful societies. The majority of women have continued to be neglected during sustainable discussions and meaningful peacebuilding processes.
In addressing these setbacks as a result of gender differences, The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) has for the past months been engaging some selected women from the ten regions of Cameroon while strengthening their capacity and preparing them for the upcoming National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon.
This National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon with over 1000 women from all 10 regions of Cameroon, including all 58 divisions and all 360 sub-Divisions will send a strong collective signal that Cameroonian women are longing for peace.
This convention will target; women peace activists, displaced women and girls, victims of war-related violence, female traditional and religious leaders, female soldiers, women entrepreneurs, domestic workers, women from civil society and political parties and many more.
The women peace convention will further strengthen an alliance for peace, which Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), started building some months back.
At the end of the convention, the more than 1000 Cameroonian women will make a historic declaration for peace in the country and this will go further to create space for women in peacebuilding processes
“We applaud and pledge our support for all the peace efforts undertaken by government and all its partners in Cameroon and abroad, including civil society.”
“We will come together as mothers, wives and sisters and we will build an alliance that is stronger, louder and more numerous than those who profit from war. Nothing will silence us or slow us down – not the difficult memories, the painful testimonies or the ignorance of those who treat women without respect. It is true that women are paying a disproportionately heavy price in armed conflicts every day. But we have also shown that we can face these difficult challenges with strong determination, loud voices and firm actions. Women are the glue of society – we have come with an unwavering commitment to bring peace to the country we love and to make it a better place for ourselves and our children”.
To FES, peace is more than just the mere absence of violence and war. People are only truly “safe” when they can freely realise their full potential. Therefore, positive peace and human security are the indispensable anchor points of our advocacy in the field of peace and security policy.
One of FES main goals is to empower regional alliances and platforms that mediate in cases of conflict and can intervene if need be. FES also believes that there is a need to reform the United Nations policies and to cause them to react to conflicts quicker, more effectively and without prejudice. FES and partners are working towards improving democratic control over security structures and players in many states.
According to FES, in Sub-Sahara Africa alone, they are engaged with a network of more than 20 national and regional offices which seven of which form a network on Peace and Security questions.
“Women are at the heart of FES efforts to build peace worldwide”. Given their huge contributions towards peacebuilding, FES on their official peace convention website said. 1st National Women’s Convention for Peace in Cameroon (camerounpeaceconvention.org)
Berinyuy Cajetan is the founder and publisher of Human Rights and Legal Research Centre (HRLRC) since 2017. He has intensive experience in strategic communications for Civil Society Organizations, campaign and advocacy, and social issues. He has an intensive experiencing in human rights monitoring, documentation and reporting.
