By Bakah Derick
An advocacy workshop on women's socio-economic and environmental rights has ended in Bamenda. Organised by Cameroon Gender and Environment Watch (CAMGEW), the Saturday 26 March 2022 workshop within the framework of promoting women inclusion in forest conservation, building solidarity and empowerment amongst others provided an opportunity for reflections on cultural practices that constitute barriers to the economic empowerment of women.
According to Shufai WÃ a-bin a traditional leader from Nso Bui Division, early and forced marriages, refusal to educate the girl child, restriction of inheritance rights to male children are some of the cultural practices that reduce opportunities for women to grow economically. He has committed himself to work with his colleagues and the youth especially in his community to promote efforts to remove these barriers.
While corroborating, Sevidzem Ernestine Leikeki, CAMGEW Women Empowerment officer added sexual harassment, education disparity, widowhood challenges amongst others and appealed that it is time women are accompanied by everyone in the society in fighting for their socio economic and Environment rights.
"We cannot talk about environmental sustainability without livelihood, without integration of women and youth in the process and without capacity building of the women, youth and men. Working around the Kilum-Ijim forest we released that women are suffering when it comes to domestic violence, when it comes to issues related to gender based violence and when it comes to issues about their sexual rights. Consequently, we cannot have a healthy environment if women are not first satisfied with themselves before protecting the environment. These rights are petinent if we need to build a harmonious environment." Sevidzem Ernestine said
CAMGEW has for years has been working with women in an effort to empower them with mitigation strayegy against these challenges and according to Sevidzem Ernestine "with their integration in environmental and forest conservation actions" there is need to think about policies that protect women and their rights. She has called on policy makers to put women at the center of their actions.
"When formulating policies, it is important for policy makers to take into consideration the grudges, aspirations, efforts, dedication and passion of these women." She said
The Director of CAMGEW Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy has appreciated various civil society organisations including traditional leaders, legal experts, the media amongst others who accepted to form a coalition with his organisation to stand with women and a bid to make society a better place.
Created in 2007, CAMGEW has been working in and around the Kilum-Ijim forest area where they promote inclusive forest regeneration with the planting of over 100 thousand trees as of 2021 and training of over 2000 to benefit from non-timber forest products especially in the honey and medicinal value chains. According to the not-for-profit organisation, women have a strong motivation to conserve biodiversity and the environment.