On Wednesday, November 4, 2020, a workshop was held at the MINADER hall in Bonanjo, Douala, to popularize the report on the analysis of the gender dimension of conflicts in Cameroon among civil society organizations. The workshop aimed at enabling CSOs to appropriate the content of this report and determine how to use it to understand violent masculinities. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the workshop was attended by only 25 representatives of Civil Society Organisations.
It is crucial for WILPF Cameroon and Cameroonian women to reflect on the resurgence of militarised violence, the consequence of which remains the barbarity observed, such as the massacre of 7 school children in a classroom on 24 October 2020 in Kumba, South West Region.
In the wake of the great national dialogue
The call for national dialogue by the President of the Republic of Cameroon on 10 September 2019 came at a time when WILPF Cameroon and the platform “Cameroonian Women for Peaceful Elections and Peace Education” and its partners were conducting a gender analysis of conflicts in Cameroon. Within this framework, a pre-consultation of women’s associations in order to make women’s voices heard during the national dialogue took place in Douala on 16 September 2019. During the said pre-consultation, the ‘Consultation Platform of Cameroonian Women for the National Dialogue’ was set up, to ensure that women’s voices are reflected during this peace process. After nationwide consultation, women civil society leaders under this banner, including women from the Diaspora and women from all walks of life, had requested, through the memorandum entitled ‘The Voice of Cameroonian Women for the National Dialogue’, to include women’s voices in the search for sustainable solutions for peace building. The document was transmitted to the coordinating committee of the national dialogue.
One year later, it is clear that the recommendations of this dialogue, if the resurgence of violence and killings in the crisis regions are to be believed, have not had a considerable impact; however, Cameroonian women and various actors have not ceased to call for a resolution of the crises, including through the effective participation of women at different levels of the peace processes, particularly that of the national dialogue, in accordance with the women’s agenda, for a lasting peace in Cameroon.
Gender analysis: a response of choice to conflicts
Proposals and initiatives are lacking the least. Among the initiatives, the CSO Platform ‘Cameroonian Women for Peaceful Elections and Peace Education’ under the leadership of WILPF Cameroon conducted between July 2019 and March 2020 a gender analysis of conflicts across the national triangle. The research conducted analysed the triple armed conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of internally displaced people, adding to an existing refugee population, as well as an increase in the number of citizens leaving the country for Nigeria. Cameroon’s worrying insecurity situation is further exacerbated by violent discourse (including from some members of the government, political figures and other actors), social tensions and violence. These events continue to undermine peace in Cameroon.
In terms of perspectives:
– Conducting dialogue;
– How to get other organisations to join the platform;
– Find a name for this action where Cameroonian women will come together to make their crises heard;
– Set up a flagship activity to be carried out during the 16 days of activism to come, according to the sub-themes proposed by the State (from November 25, 2020);
– According to the National Action Plan of the Resolution 1325, see the activities to be carried out in the short and long term in relation to the current realities in our country;
– Review and update the National Action Plan of Resolution 1325 in order to adapt it to the context;
