Official launch of the 16 days of activism campaign to end violence against women and girls – Yaounde Cameroon November 24th, 2021

Yaounde, Cameroon November 24th 2021. Organized by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family in partnership with UN Women Cameroon, more than 200 persons, including local authorities, development partners, civil Society organizations and young people, gathered for the official launching Ceremony of the 15th Edition of the 16 Days of Activism to end Violence against Women and Girls. This campaign contributes each year to fight violence against women and girls through multiform interventions including the engagement of men and boys as actors of change. This year, the Campaign is celebrated under the theme “Orange the World: END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN NOW!”.

The objective of the campaign is to mobilize all the networks All UNiTED to (i) Increase awareness among women, men, girls and boys on the importance of protecting women and girls and the consequences of violence against women/girls; (ii) Advocate for inclusive strategies, programs and resources to prevent and eliminate violence against women at all levels; (iii) Promote the leadership of women and girls (iv) mobilize state actors, civil society organizations, international organizations, the private sector and all other entities to support actions to combat violence against women technically, materially and financially.

The meeting which began with an address by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Matthias Zana Naab, who highlighted that “the United Nations in Cameroon is determined to work hand in glove with the government, and all other partners to coordinate Orange events and activities at national and local levels to advocate for inclusive, comprehensive, and long-term strategies, programs and resources to prevent and respond to Violence Against Women and Girls, to change the prevailing narratives and promote a Cameroon free from all kinds of violence”.

The launch was an opportunity to hear from two survivors of violence, as well as presentations from the Police on the support of gender-based survivors and from an official from the Ministry of Women’s empowerment and Family on the care of survivors in safe houses.

The ceremony continued with Hind JALAL, Representative of UN Women in Cameroon, through the reading of the message of the Secretary General of the United Nations, who gave the quintessence of the apprehension of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence by the UN agencies.

“Violence against women and girls continues to be the most pervasive and pressing human rights issue in the world today. We can draw a straight line between violence against women, civil oppression and violent conflict. From rape and sexual slavery used as tools of war, to the thread of misogyny that runs through violent extremism”, according to the UN Secretary General.

In her launching address, Madam Abena Ondoa Nee Obama Marie-Therese, Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, The theme for this 15th edition of the Global campaign, calls on all of us: men, women, families, communities, leaders at all levels, government officials, to develop an inclusive approach in the fight against. The Minister explained that, in order to intensify the campaign against gender-based violence, the government organized denunciation ceremonies in 2020 on atrocities against women and the killing of children in Kumba. In 2021, following the pornographic images of young girls on social networks, the government organized a press conference to condemn these forms of violence against girls (sextape). In July 2021, the voice of women was heard through the organization of the National Convention of Cameroonian Women on Peace to denounce the suffering of women in the face of violence perpetrated in conflict zones. Finally, she appreciated the courage of survivors of violence who have come to talk openly about their suffering.