Bamenda: Women Empowered on Peacebuilding, Hate Mitigation

Participants listening to a presentation

Over 15 widows in Bamenda, North West region of Cameroon have been brought together for a one day workshop organized by Target Peace under the theme “Widows: Build Peace, Target peace and defy hate in Cameroon”.

The workshop had as objective to empower the women to fight against discrimination, sex crimes, gender based violence and hate speech for a peaceful Cameroon.

While facilitating on anger management as a strategy to bring peace, Madam Boyo Maureen made the women to understand that they are mothers and custodians of peace. So for them to spread peace, they should be at peace with themselves.

 

When asked why widows were the target for this workshop, Madam Sylvia Waindim the Public Relations Officer of Target Peace said, a lot of women are relegated when it concerns decision making.

"Having this today is because today is the day of the African Woman. We choose widows this year to show them that they have a role in peace building and fighting hate speech and being able to collaborate with other members of the society"

"They are kept in the background when it comes to matters that concern them. We are all living within a crisis and we need peace now more than ever. So we  believe targeting widows is a very strategic choice for celebrating the African Woman this year”, Waindim Sylvia said.

She further said that the workshop was open to all widows and they will do a follow up to see how they are implementing the strategies of peace and the challenges they are facing and subsequently include them in other peace events.

According to Madam Nicoline Komme, being a widow doesn't relegate them to the background

“I have learnt that being a widow is not the last person in the society and that we can help to bring peace in our home, community and the nation as a whole. I have also learnt that as a widow I have a part to play in nation building and it will help me bring peace within my family, and community. I now know how I can manage anger and I will tell my friends about living in peace even if they are not widows and I will introduce them to this group so they can also learn” Nicoline said.

The African day of the woman celebrated this year under the theme “African Women in Arts, Culture and Heritage” is a day set aside to rally support and advance actions towards the implementation of commitments on equality and women empowerment.

By Tantan Patience