16Days of Activism Against GBV: Common Action for Gender and Development supports local actions to shun the vice

UNITE to End VAW is a multi-year effort aimed at preventing and eliminating violence against women and girls around the world. On this 8th day of the Campaign, we choose to profile a young female leader who has dedicated most part of her work around the well-being of young girls from sexual and reproductive health rights to GBV, Peace building and more.

Ndum Charlotte Ayeah is a passionate Youth Leader, Girls' Rights advocate and Political Enthusiast.

She's a founding member and Programs officer of Dreams to Reality Transformers a youth led Organisation working in the areas of Girls Rights Advocacy, Peace Building & Civic Engagement.

Ndum Charlotte Ayeah

As an advocate for the rights of Girls, she has been part and in some cases implemented projects and activities aimed at fighting the Violence faced by Women and Girls.

She's carried out several Sensitisation Campaigns aimed at creating awareness on GBV and related thematics while equally advocating for the representation of Women and Girls and favourable policies.

Most recently she was selected as a Mentor under the #Stop Violence now against Women and Girls Project sponsored by the European Union and implemented by NKumu Fed Fed where she's carrying out a project aimed at Educating Boys and Girls on CSE as a means of mitigating Sexual Violence in the Community.

Ndum Charlotte Ayeah

To have a community free of GBV, Charlotte believes that inclusive Sensitisation and the creation of awareness around this Epidemic should be amplified through the media both on and offline but also through town hall meetings, workshops, “njangi houses” and other social gatherings.

Furthermore, she holds that policies should be implemented which punish defaulters stringently thereby deterring others.

Also, the Empowerment of Women and Girls is imperative as poverty and dependency is a major enhancer for GBV, Charlotte reiterated.

It is important to note that the 16 days begin with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends with International Human Rights Day on 10 December, highlighting that violence against women is a fundamental violation of human rights.

Uppaultine Vimombi

Monday

Great news

Africa Fact-Checking Fellowship gains ground in Cameroon's Northern Regions

AFF Cohort 6 Fellows with trainers 

Garoua is host to Defyhatenow's flagship fellowship program #AFF hosting 15 participants from all 3 Northern Regions.

These media professionals, selected from out of a hundred applications, have began enhancing their skills in the areas of #FakeNews and #HateSpeech mitigation During these sessions they shall be accompanied by the matchless experience of Paul Joel Kamtchang of Adisi-Cameroun

Paul Joel Kamtchang of Adisi-Cameroun

and a cream of fine professionals from @Defyhatenow Cameroon led by @Desmond Ngala, Representative for West&Central Africa.

Desmond Ngala, Representative for West&Central Africa.

It is important to note that Africa Fact-checking fellowship was designed to follow up and  to succeed our  previous  #FactsMatter fellowship which was launched in January 2020,  #FactsMatter237 was aimed at monitoring and mapping viral trends on social media related to the key thematic issues in Cameroon. 

Five cohorts have been trained, bringing together professionals from the South West, Nortwest, Littoral, Centre, Far North and West. About 20 members of the Cameroon Bloggers Association from Yaounde, Douala and Dschang have also benefited. More than 53 online Fact-Checking and hate speech detention professionals have been trained under the #AFFCameroon programme.

Session in course

In the two months pilot (Jan-Feb 2020), our six fellows published more than 12 fact-checking reports on various issues in Cameroon. "After seeing the success of the #FactsMatter fellowship and listening to the feedback from various partners and fellows we opted to rebrand and program to Africa Fact-checking fellowship. The new changes include the extension of  the fellowship duration of from 2 months to 3 months, the new program will also feature an enhanced program with more practical sessions and lessons by guest experts from various organizations." Said Desmond Ngala, Defyhatenow Representative for West & Central Africa.

Fellows in session

The #Africa Fact-Checking Fellowship (AFF) is an initiative by #defyhatenow in partnership Data Cameroon which aims at promoting fact-checking, data journalism, and digital rights among journalists, bloggers, and content creators in Africa.  The three-month program is geared towards providing fellows with the skill sets and tools needed to tackle the current misinformation challenges in their countries of operation. The program is based on a blended learning model that utilizes webinars, practical lessons, peer learning, and practical field assignments.  Fellows will gain access to a rich set of tools and online resources as well as a network of experts and professionals from across the globe.  

Pedmia Shatu

COMAGEND engages dialogue on the effects of climate change on women and girls

Group photograph with COMAGEND and Climate change actors

Vulnerability to climate change is acute in many parts of the world and its impact are not gender neutral.Due to thier gender defined roles in society and tradition pattern of marginalisation,  women and girls are most vulnerable  to the effects of climate change. For this reason Community Action for Gender development COMAGEND, under the supervision of Sally Mboumien has engaged actors familiar with this subject matter to review its policy brief and how this brief can be a working document.

Sally Mboumien, Coordinator COMAGEND facilitating discussions

In an over 3hrs session, the brief was presented alongside other short skits by advocates of Adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). The aim of the policy  brief is to seek strategic and context specific ways to Localize the provision of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) in a manner that builds on indigenous practices that response to climate change. This implies that local action if well taken will change the narrative of the next year report.

The brief holds that women in Africa play a fundamental role providing their basic necessities such as food , water, fuel, medicine. Though these women and girls depend highly on their surrounding natural resources, due to climate change their surroundings  are no longer meeting their needs.

The Commission on the Status of Women CSW66 that just ended in New York recognises the negative effects of climate change on women and girls. The outcome document cited loss of homes and livelihood , water scarcity, destruction and damage to schools and health facilities as impact of the current  situation. The document stressed  the urgency of eliminating persistent  historical and structurally inequalities discriminating laws and policies, negative and social norms and gender stereotypes that perpetuate multiple and intersecting  forms of discrimination. Separation from support network, increased risk to all forms of violence and reduced access to employment, education and essential  health care services, including sexual reproductive healthcare, service and psychosocial support. 

Cross section of the hall

The commission proposed that stake holders should promote women and girls  full participation in leadership to make natural resource management and climate environmente and disaster. 

It is worth mentioning that Women and girls are taking climate and environmental actions at all levels but thier voice, agency, participation needs to be further supported, resourced, valued and recognised.

It emphasizes the need for women and girls to be given equal access and rights to important resources such as productive assets such as land , water, technology, technical advice and information that can result in the greater food security  renewable energy, just resilience  sustainable system for all.

The document stresses on fostering  gender responsive, transitions, also adaptative approaches which will enhance  the capacity  of policy makers to develop and adopt effective evidence based policies and programmes at all levels and boost women and girls contribution to environmental conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Climate change actors and AGYW advocates

Year in year out resolutions  are taken  in New York hoping for the improvement of the wellbeing of women and girls especially those in conflict affected  areas like Cameroon. The biggest question is to what extent are these resolutions applicable in local communities? This question set the ball rolling for discussion in session. Pedmia Shatu, Executive director for Global Initiative for Digital Inclusion and Communication (GIDICom) mentioned that the media through all its arms of communication could be used to expand the resolutions of such a gathering and even give visibility to the work AGYW advocates are doing in their communities.

Pedmia Shatu, Executive director for Global Initiative for Digital Inclusion and Communication (GIDICom)

Local council authorities held that the actions of climate change must begin from sensitization for the population to first understand the concept of climate change before mitigation and adaptation.

At the close of that day, it was relevant as put by Tah Kennette of Society for the Promotion of initiatives in Sustainable development (SOPISDEW) 

Tah Kennette of Society for the Promotion of initiatives in Sustainable development (SOPISDEW)

that all actors present to build a community of practice implying friends of the subject matter meeting from time to time and see how to affect policy and provoke transformational change.

Tabot Florence

DRAUFSICHT trains Journalists, CSOs and Film makers on the role of civilians in armed conflict

                    Participants at the workshop

Since the start of the anglophone crisis in 2016, civilians have been on the crossroad as they have been the most affected . Some have lost lives, homes , loved ones , businesses , jobs and alot more. It is for this reason that Draufsicht Bamenda on February 18 2022 brought together film makers, journalists and Civil society organizations in Bamenda to discuss on the role of civilians in armed conflicts. 

According to the facilitator Tombir Stanley, " the media plays a central role in armed conflict as it can either contribute in escalating or de-escalating the tension". He mentioned that " it is important for journalists to be equipped with the right skills to report during crisis in a more professional way which will not incite violence" . 

Civil society organizations on the other hand were advised to involve members of the community in their activities through sensitization and equally invest in projects which are beneficial to the population. 

Journalist present were called upon to engage in Eco journalism which is quite lacking in the cameroon media landscape today. Eco journalism can equally be referred to as environmental journalism, which focuses on telling stories about climate change and the environment . 

It is worthy to note that this activity falls within the framework of Draufsichts  Community Journalism project which started in 2021 in Bamenda geared at equipping Journalists and media bodies with skills to change the narratives in their traditional way of reporting.

By Amambo Carrey Pride