African Woman and Child Feature Service

Women all over Africa remain marginalised when it comes to political and decision making leadership. Except for a few countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania and Sudan that have laws enabling women to have positions in politics and governance, the rest of the continent has women in subservient positions.

One such country is Cameroon, and it continues to exploit women as patriarchy takes dominance. Cameroonian women’s political empowerment has been hampered by a society that is deeply patriarchal.

Kenya also had a similar position like Cameroon until August 27, 2010 when a new Constitution was promulgated. The new law now allows Kenya’s political leadership to start at the grassroots through the county government. In this make up, the law bars one gender from holding more than two thirds of public and electoral offices. The new law also gives women 47 seats in Parliament. Out of the 330 seats, women will have at least about 139.

Like Kenya’s Martha Karua, so far one woman has expressed her interest in going for the presidency in Cameroon. Edith Kabbang Walla or Kah Wallah as she is popularly known is seeking to be the  chief executive officer of a country where women hardly have space within the political decision-making. And she will succeed if efforts by the likes of Anne Stella Fomunbod in empowering women succeed.

Cameroon is now starting to empower its women from the grassroots to enable them understand that with political governance being taken to the grassroots women can equally get positions within the process.

Cameroon like Kenya has experienced women’s human rights abuses. While governance has always taken place top to the bottom, Interfaith Vision’s Foundation, through its head, Anne Stella Fomunbod, is looking at empowering women bottoms up.

Starting with women at the grassroots, and particularly marginalised groups like the widows, is one way of empowering them.
Fomunbod says: “Violation of women’s human rights have been going on but no one has paid attention. The root causes of these violations include marriage practices, physical abuse, socio-economic barriers and lack of legal protections.”

She says in elected position there is only 13.8 female representation. Out of 180 parliamentarians only 25 are women. “And out of the Cabinet positions women only occupy 16 percent.”
Fomunbod blames the situation on a problem tree that has in its roots that are deeply entrenched patriarchy, female exclusion and women’s human rights abuses. This problem tree can be found replicated in most African countries. The Cameroonian situation is not different from that of other African nations.

“International and local organisations have been trying to cut the problem tree to no avail. What is at the root of this tree are cultural practices that make it difficult for women to take up leadership positions. There are councils where positions are hereditary representations and this prevents women family members from accessing the seats,” explains Fomunbod. She adds: “Those holding special seats in the council are from special families. Women cannot be part of the council, and that means women cannot inherit their fathers.”
It is this social barriers, that are apparently similar all over the continent that have that have left women suffering under general poverty because they are subservient to men and lack access to positions and facilities that can uplift their levels of livelihood.

“In Cameroon lack of access to financial resources bxxxxxars many women from registering even as voters. To have a voting card, a woman needs to have a passport photograph taken. If she had the money when would have to weigh her priorities and decide which one takes precedence. Between buying food for the children and taking a photograph for a voter’s card where would the woman’s priority lie?

For sure the guess is as good as it gets. No woman would leave her children to sleep hungry because she is getting a photo for the ID card.
“This lack of means makes it difficult for the woman to register for elections,” she says.

Fomunbod was speaking in Washington DC at the offices of the National Endowment for Democracy when she addressed Americans and African living in the US.

While Cameroon currently has a woman Edith Kabbang Walla, Kah Wallah as she is popularly known, who has indicated interest in running for presidency, she Wallah still has a long way to in convincing women to register as voters and also join the race and vie for political seats.

In her paper title From the Grassroots to the Nation: Promoting Women’s Rights and Political Participation, Fomunbod reiterated on demystifying women’s attitude that they cannot compete with men. This is a big challenge in Cameroon where many women develop cold feet if they are in a race with women.

However, according to Michelle Bekering, Executive Director at Women Democracy Network, globally there are many things prohibiting women from advancing politically. The difference can only be seen through women’s empowerment.

Explains Bekering: “Women’s empowerment has closed the gender gap in many spheres.”

According to Bekering, the more there are women in positions of governance the less the corruption a country experiences. This means then that social and economic amenities will be available to all at a more accessible level.

Quoting a World Bank report that the more a parliament has women, the less the levels of corruption, Bekering reiterated that in the absence of good governance, culture and tribal customs remain overarching.

“Greater political participation of women encourages discussion for issues that are normally considered women’s issues.”
As Fomunbod says: “It will be important to provide a converging ground for Cameroonians of varied political, and academic backgrounds to help change the mentalities of the population to agree that women should and can have positions of political leadership and decision making.”