By Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
Women drawn from various socio-political, professional, cultural and educational backgrounds in Buea, Tiko and Mutengene have been discussing their roles, impact, contributions and outcome in the wake of elections in Cameroon.
At a training workshop on the theme; Gender and Elections, organised by the Tiko-based Centre for Democracy and Electoral Studies, CDES, participants, concluded amongst others that there is need for women advocacy groups for them to be mainstreamed in the electoral processes in Cameroon.
Participants of gender and politics talks.
According to Dorothy Forsac Tata, Lecturer in the Department of Women and Gender Studies, WGS, University of Buea, UB, this is the time for whistle blowing, looking at what the current electoral laws in Cameroon say on gender participation in elections. “Cameroon has brought in the issue of gender in the electoral code. It is relevant we raise discussions around it. A close look will indicate that the laws are not explicit, defined as to how women should come in. There is talk about gender participation, but how women should come in is still shady,” she explained.
Participants at work
She found the discussions at the workshop an eye-opener, noting that the electoral laws have to be looked into and concretely indicated on how women have to participate and brought into the show. “Otherwise, women will be considered, but gender will be absent,” Forsac argued.
A student of WGS, UB, Clodine Mbuli Shei found politics and electoral issues a big concerns for the youths, saying this is the time to craft new strategies and not get into the mistakes of the past.
Participants deep at work
While she upholds the efforts made by society to get women interested and participate in issues of elections, Mbuli thinks that women have to take their responsibilities and get on board, void of any pressure. “Women should develop self-esteem, define their priorities, mobilise themselves with the view that they have the population and know that the onus to win the battle depends on them,” she advised.
Martha Agbor Eneke, a WCPDM Subsection President in Tiko saw in the women a political force, which is their number, following the 2005 census report in Cameroon, which put the women at 51 percent plus of the population in Cameroon. “The power of voting is the number. I have learnt that the women have to be mobilised and encouraged to come out in their numbers. To win an election, you must have the largest chunk of the population behind you. This is the time for the Cameroonian woman to stand behind any woman going in for any elections in the country,” she said.
Facilitator and workshop organiser, Henry Oben Atem of CDES said with elections in the air across Cameroon, this is the time to look at what the law says on gender considerations. “Politicians must be aware that the law gives room for gender considerations when constituting their lists of candidates. Most politicians, according to findings undermine these aspects of the laws. This workshop is a reminder and a guard for them in the face of the electoral board that is sensitive to the law,” he noted.
The CDES Executive Director said it is also an opportunity to let the women know that they have a place to protect in the electoral chain, especially the critical mass of thirty percent put forward by the Beijing Platform.
Though the workshop has come after the municipal and legislative elections have been called for September 30 2013 in Cameroon, Oben noted that the women have to know how their names are positioned in the council lists in particular, saying the sharing of the council lists after an election is crucial, especially in the manner in which names of candidates were numbered on the list.
Oben said CDES is out to ensure that more women get into heart of election victories and grab a place in most of the councils across the Southwest Region and the country in general.
He will advise women to not only cry foul after results of elections are released but should be involved in the post election analysis, adding that it is the opportunity to advocate for reforms. “Post electoral periods are the most crucial moments that advocacy groups should come up to look at the wrongs and propose what is good as reforms for subsequent elections,” he said.
Other topics which were reviewed at the workshop include; developing a gender strategy in political party organisations, strategies for enhancing women participation, barriers women face in accessing electoral processes and what women want from the electoral process.
