Some traditional
rulers from the west region of Cameroon began acquainting themselves with some
national and international legal instruments that protect the rights of women
and girls in Cameroon at a two day capacity building workshop that opened at
the Hilton hotel in Yaounde on Friday.
It is estimated
that over 130 million women and girls worldwide have been subjected to female
genital mutilation. Cameroon is not left out of these alarming statistics and
one of the regions where violence against women is rampant is the West.
It is against
this backdrop the Bamenda based nongovernmental organization, Modern Advocacy
Humanitarian Social and Rehabilitation Association (MAHSRA) brought up the project;
“Western Chiefs Sexual Violence Initiative.”
Through the
initiative that began in January 2015 in some divisions of the West region,
some traditional rulers of the region took a commitment to amongst other ensure
that customs and traditional dispositions that violate rights of girls and
women, affect their health and wellbeing will be reviewed and also to ensure
that perpetrators of sexual violence are pursued according to the law.
The Yaounde
workshop that focused on the socio-anthropological causes and consequences of
sexual violence against women in traditional societies was thus in continuation
of the advocacy.
The Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of MAHSRA, Dr. Kelly F. Ngyah said the project targets
traditional rulers because of the influence they wield over their subjects;
some of whom still believe in old-age customs that women are supposed to be
subjected to certain customs.
“We are training
leaders so that they can go back and train their subjects to change. We are not
actually going against any customs or tradition, but we know that we have the
priority of the wellbeing of the woman and human rights,” Dr. Kelly said.
The MAHSRA chief
executive explained that the teachings to the traditional rulers are to empower
them to ameliorate on the customs and traditions that violate the rights of
women.
The project is
being sponsored by the British High Commission in Cameroon and according to the
High Commissioner, Brian Oulley, the fight against violence for women is vital
for the future of all countries around the world.
“This is a very
important subject for the United Kingdom both within the boundaries of our
nation and around the world. So we want to help countries around the world to a
better future; one that encourages prosperity and respect for human rights,”
Brian Oulley said.
Speaking through
a representative, the chairperson of the National Commission on Human Rights
and Freedoms admitted that it is very challenging for traditional authorities
to easily do away with age old practices.
“But we cannot
continue to tolerate sexual violence at this age where human rights are across
cutting in every aspect of our lives. I believe our Fons who are well respected
have the authority to put and end to such practices,” Dr. Chemuta Divine Banda
said.
On behalf of the
Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family (MINPROFF), the Director of Women
Social Promotion in the Ministry, Abessolo Esseko Calice who chaired the
opening ceremony of the two days workshop lauded the initiative by MAHSRA and
the British High Commission.
During the training,
the traditional rulers were to be schooled on national and international legal instruments
relating to violence against women like the Universal Declaration on Human
Rights (UDHR) and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) amongst others.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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