CAEPA HOLDS NATIONAL DIALOGUE FOR MBORORO WOMEN'S SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
CAEPA Cameroon has convened a National Symposium in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon bringing stakeholders to address land challenges affecting Mbororo Women in Cameroon.
This dialogue brings to one sitting, land stakeholders including Mbororo women activists, representatives from the Ministries of State Property, Survey and Land Tenure, MINPROFF, MINAS and partner organizations nationwide, working for the rights of women in Cameroon.
Grassroots representatives advocating for indigenous land rights
Government agency overseeing land tenure and ownership
Technical ministry handling land documentation
Ministries focused on women's promotion and social affairs
Despite national legislation, systemic barriers still persist, hindering indigenous women participation in decision making. The symposium is a crucial step towards upholding the land rights of women in Cameroon and particularly the indigenous Mbororo women.
🎯 Dialogue Objectives
The occasion has as aim to raise national awareness on Mbororo women land use rights and equally present recommendations from Mbororo women in the NWR to stakeholders and partners present, on women land related struggles.
While the deliberations ensured with these women tabling their concerns to the national authorities present, the representatives from MINCAF emphasized on the stand of the law towards gender equality. The Law of Cameroon supports gender equality and it was clearly stated that, the land law gives both men and women the right to own land without any form of favoritism. Reacting to the concerns raised around the cumbersome nature of acquiring land documents, it was stated that, the Ministry is presently working on an initiative that will ease the burden of land acquisition on women in Cameroon.
⚖️ Legal Clarifications
The Muslim scholars present used the opportunity to enlighten these women on the Islamic law. They remarked that, the religious laws and culture does not hinder a woman from having access to, and control over land. The Islamic culture supports gender balance and land as a resource should be owned and utilized by both men and women.
The knowledge gained from this project has taken us from 10% to 70% of understanding land rights and our land laws in Cameroon. We have equally understood the stand of the Mbororo culture as far as women land ownership is concerned. We have been taught agricultural techniques and it has been so educative all through. For the most part of our lives, we are dependent but now we are able to create our kitchen gardens and contribute to the family. I feel honored to represent my community here. I plead with these Ministries here present to look into the land laws and make them flexible enough for everyone to acquire land.
I am going back to my community to launch a sensitization campaign. I shall gather my subordinates to deliberate on all that we are getting from this session. From the sessions we have had with you people, I see that women have been marginalized in my community and this is a thing I am willing to change from this moment hence.
We have benefitted a lot from CAEPA Cameroon. They have empowered us and our eyes have been opened because we were ignorant about the procedures to obtain the legal land documents. Most of us did not know our rights till CAEPA came to help us. We are going back with more knowledge.
🌟 Project Completion & Legacy
At the close of day, you could tell that a feeling of fulfillment filled the atmosphere. These women felt satisfied meeting national authorities and voicing out their concerns to persons who have the mandate to implement change.
🎯 "Empowering Mbororo Women" Project
This event marks the end of the project "Empowering Mbororo Women: Securing Land Rights for Sustainable Development in Cameroon" implemented in Bamenda I, III and Tubah Sub Division of the North West Region with funds from African Women Development Fund (AWDF).
🔄 Sustainability & Continuity
Though the project draws to a close, these Mbororo women are determined to ensure the sustainability of this project. This shall be made possible through continues community sensitization in their meeting forums and one-on-one session with family and friends. On the part of CAEPA, the organization has made available agricultural produce for continues planting for the proper utilization of land and has kept it's doors open to offer directives on initiating the right procedures to acquire land documents.