UN WOMEN SUPPORTS AN HIV FEMINIZATION CAMPAIGN TO SENSITIZE YOUTHS OF DIMAKO

As part of the celebration of African Youth Day, about 1000 young people took part in the awareness caravan organized by the Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (Camyosfop) and UN Women in Dimako, East Region of Cameroon on Saturday, 02 November 2019. The campaign sought to sensitize young boys and girls on the consequences of drug abuse and gender-based violence on the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS.

During the whole activity, an educational chat between the authorities including the sub-prefect, the youth and civic education delegate, the gender and HIV expert at UN Women, the representative of the National Youth Council, the president of CamyosFop, local civil society organizations and young people, including Mbororos and pygmies; a screening campaign and the commitments for the HeForShe campaign are the different articulations that have furnished this activity.

According to NDENGUE FELIX, sub-prefect of Dimako, "the eastern region in which we are located has one of the highest prevalence rates in the country, above the national average. One of the reasons for this is the depravity of young people, with all the ports of call of carriers transiting through them and offering resources to young girls who are very often deprived of economic resources. This is one of the reasons why this type of campaign must be intensified, especially in the hinterland, in order to significantly reduce reducing and deviant behaviour".

According to Djamilatou Manou, a student in private law at the University of Yaoundé II,  "In the Mbororo community, school is seen as an instrument that demeans the community; this is one of the reasons why the majority of parents do not send their children to school, especially young girls. This exposes them to prostitution and increases the rate of vulnerability sexually transmitted diseases. Drug use is increasing and so is the rate of rape. A recommended solution would be a set of similar campaigns with parents and young people on the importance of schooling, especially for girls, and the consequences of rape and drug use. »

At the end of the sensitization, Nearly 200 young people made concrete commitments as part of the HeForShe campaign against violence against women and girls to significantly reduce girls' vulnerability to HIV : This was the key result of this activity.