PM Yang launches Gender Equality Campaign

Prime Minister Philemon Yang Thursday August 11, before the Regional Director of UN Wowen for West and Central Africa,Diana Ofwona, launched a campaign to get men and boys involved in the promotion of gender equality.

 The campaign dubbed, HEFORSHE, according to the Regional Director, is a solidarity movement for gender equality, which uses an online innovative and inclusive platform that recognises men and boys as partners for women’s rights and acknowledges the ways in which the masculine sex benefits from the equality.

In her address at the Yaounde Hilton, she said the campaign is for men and boys who believe in safety for women in a harassment-free public space, for fathers who love their daughters, and for CEOs who recognise that an inclusive workforce is the backbone of their success.

She revealed that the campaign which aims at collecting 2million online endorsements in Cameroon in one year already has 322 men and boys registered in its data base. The campaign which UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon launched on September 20, 2014 targets 3billion men and boys worldwide, the regional director said.

Roland Kwemain, member of the HEFORSHE team in Cameroon, stated in his inaugural speech that one cannot effectively serve himself, noting that women have been trying to empower themselves and protect their rights by themselves for long, but the results are there for everyone to see.

“It is for this reason that men and boys have to be brought on board, and made to understand gender equality is beneficial to both men and women. We have been standing on one leg for too long and it is time the second leg be brought in to support us,” he said.

The HEFORSHE campaign uses leaders in government and the civil society as ambassadors to influence other men and boys to join the movement. In a video projection, icons and opinion leaders like former national football team player, Roger Milla, musicians like X-Maleya, Otto Marcelin, Dynasty, academics including University professor, Jean Emmanuel Pondi, traditional rulers such as Fon Fubuzie of Chongwa gave reasons for accepting to be HEFORSHE ambassadors.

Though the United Nations entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women says Women in Cameroon remain victims of gender-based marginalisation because of socio-cultural situations, some Cameroonian women blame the situation on poverty.

Their socio-economic status, according to UN Women is characterised by a high representation, as high as 65percent in the informal sector such as agriculture and trade.

Berinyuy, a cooked food vendor in Yaounde, told The Cameroon Journal, that she did not drop out of school simply because of the fact that she was a girl.

“If I even started school, it means my father knew education was important for all of us, boys and girls. But because of financial difficulties, only two of us had to go to college – and he chose the stronger sex” she said.

Berinyuy says it is an undeniable fact that women are the weaker sex, and parents know that as long as they are beautiful and are of noble character, they would marry men who would take care of them.

“We were poor, now am married with two kids and I only sell food to keep myself busy and support my husband. If my brothers didn’t go to school, they would have been idling in the village, but they are fine now”; she said.

The UN Women Regional Director praised the Cameroon government for efforts towards promoting gender equality by promoting women.

There are provisions for gender equality in Cameroon’s constitution, penal code, electoral and labour codes, but according to UN Women, discrimination still exists in marriage ages, divorce and rights to property.

The campaign seeks to engage men and boys to a commitment that reduces gender-based violence, increase women’s participation in politics, and to work as advocates for change.

Originally Published on The Cameroon Daily Journal at:
http://www.cameroonjournal.com/national-news/pm-yang-launches-gender-equality-campaign/