R 211547Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9850
INFO AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 000366 
 
 
DEPT FOR G/IWI, DRL/AE, AF/C 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS 
EUCOM FOR J5-A AFRICA DIVISION AND POLAD YATES 
USDOC FOR ITA - BURRESS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM SCUL SOCI KWMN PGOV CM
SUBJECT: WOMEN'S MONTH IN CAMEROON HIGHLIGHTS GAPS 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary.  Amidst much celebration and fanfare, Cameroon 
celebrated International Women's Month and Day March 8, perhaps 
raising general awareness of some problems faced by Cameroonian 
women, but revealing troubling shortcomings in the vision and 
activities of the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the Family 
(MINPROFF).  POL/ECON OMS met with five prominent Cameroonian women 
from diverse backgrounds, each of them an activist for gender 
equality, to gauge public opinion on the month's highly publicized 
activities.  Each contact raised concerns with MINPROFF's 
leadership, especially the Ministry's approach to International 
Women's Day as a day focused on public festivities, rather than 
activities beneficial to Cameroonian women.  End Summary. 
 
What Do Women Want? 
Hairstyles and Dress Codes? 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U)  POL/ECON OMS met separately with five prominent Cameroonian 
women - a lawyer, an activist, a radio station manager, a gender 
consultant, and the director of a university women's studies program 
- each of whom is well-regarded as an advocate for women's issues. 
They were unanimous in deriding the Government of Cameroon's (GRC) 
programming for the month of March as too centered on feel-good 
activities and public events, rather than on more pressing 
imperatives, like the development of a national gender policy or the 
general sensitization of Cameroonians to issues that affect women. 
POL/ECON OMS attended a MINPROFF planning meeting, where most of the 
attention focused on questions like how women should dress for the 
day ("not too revealing") and the musical performances planned for 
the month-long women's month carnivals.  Embassy contacts generally 
agreed that, although MINPROFF held a small workshop to educate men 
about domestic violence, the majority of MINPROFF activities were 
similar to the planning discussion: unsubstantial, shallow, and 
doing little to effect meaningful change for women in Cameroon. 
Such activities included a publicized visit by Suzanne Mbomback, the 
Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family, to present gifts to 
female prison inmates, a best-hairstyle contest, and a training 
session for women in markets on how to avoid littering. 
 
Women's Ministry 
Undermining the Message? 
------------------------ 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Embassy contacts expressed alarm that some MINPROFF 
activities seemed to undermine the very principles of women's 
empowerment.  In one program, MINPROFF hosted a highly publicized 
event to recognize women who had given birth to large numbers 
(10-15) of children.  The Cameroonian women activists to whom we 
spoke feared that such activities effectively endorsed large family 
sizes in a country with booming population growth and widespread 
poverty, when a message of family planning and reproductive freedom 
would have been more appropriate. 
 
¶4. (U) The GRC sponsored mass, public marriages for second and third 
wives in each of Cameroon's ten regions.  The GRC argued that such 
ceremonies empowered women by formalizing their right to remain in 
the household.  Embassy contacts, however, complained that such 
ceremonies legitimized polygamy rather than reforming widow and land 
rights [F1]for women.  These mass marriages [F2]do much for the 
public opinion of the Ministry, but little for the cause of women's 
empowerment, they added.  Illustrative of MINPROFF's uncertain 
leadership, Mbomback thanked the U.N. during a public ceremony the 
week of March 8 for the U.N.'s support to a program to stop 
collective marriages.  Nevertheless, Mbomback's ministry continued 
to carry out the GRC-sponsored collective marriages through the last 
week of March. 
 
Wanted: MINPROFF Leadership 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U)  POL/ECON sources stressed that until President Biya appoints 
a Minister of Women's Empowerment and the Family who is not a 
politician by trade, or a member of the ruling party, little real 
action will be taken to enact change for women in Cameroon from the 
top down.  One source described Suzanne Mbomback as someone who 
"heads a machine, but is not a technician, so cannot fix the 
machine."  The contact stressed that Mbomback lacks the technical 
knowledge, experience, and insight needed to correctly direct 
MINPROFF's programs. Contacts also complained that MINPROFF is 
closed off to the public and unwilling to communicate or share its 
programs, operational plans, or budget with civil society groups. 
MINPROFF's budget for Women's Month reportedly totaled about $1 
million, with no discernable outcome for women's issues in Cameroon. 
 
 
Do the Celebrations Cost 
More than Money? 
------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (U) International Women's Day in Cameroon is, as much as 
anything, a month-long party for Cameroonian women with Women's Day 
itself (March 8) being the most raucous.  The First Lady, Chantal 
Biya, held a publicized Women's month parade in the South Western 
part of the country on March 28 to close out a month of parties and 
public events.  Unfortunately, the tone of the celebration among the 
general population is not primarily in the spirit of raising 
awareness on issues affecting women. Rather it takes on a rebellious 
tone where women and men believe it is the 'one day when women can 
behave like men.'  This is construed by most Cameroonians as a day 
for women to consume alcohol and set aside child care 
responsibilities. 
 
¶7.  (U) Embassy contacts all agreed that the interpretation of 
Women's Day in Cameroon must change.  Each cited examples of 
increased domestic violence on the night of Women's Day, primarily 
due to the confrontation that results from women's alcohol 
consumption in a deeply patriarchal country.  They reported that 
police arrests of women also increased as a result of public 
disturbances and fighting in the streets.  Embassy officers 
witnessed such altercations and visibly inebriated women in Yaounde 
neighborhoods.  For example, the director of a woman's community 
radio station reported that her organization had sheltered five 
babies who had been abandoned by their mothers this year on Women's 
Day and brought by others to the radio station for help.  At 
nightfall the babies were taken to the local police station, because 
the mothers still had not returned to look for their children.  The 
women leaders each argued that the Women's Day events resulted in 
more women being exposed to rape and HIV/AIDS as a result of 
excessive drinking. 
 
Nevertheless, Some Good 
----------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Our contacts did concede that, despite its problems, Women's 
Month did have some impact in Cameroon.  Particularly through the 
heavy television and radio coverage the topic received, the month 
drew attention to women's issues, and provided an outlet for women's 
voices to be heard.  The promotion of the national Women's Day 
traditional cloth ("pagne") gave Cameroonian women a sense of pride 
and worth.  The month also provided an opportunity for 
non-governmental and community groups to organize themselves around 
the theme, and take advantage of the increased media attention. 
While the GRC faltered on programming, a flourish of NGO activities 
took place, including conferences, debates, capacity building 
workshops and training sessions for women, particularly in Yaounde 
and Douala. 
 
What is the USG Doing? 
---------------------- 
 
¶9. (U) Within its limited means, the Embassy continues to support 
actively the promotion of women's rights in Cameroon and seeks 
increased communication with MINPROFF.  Moreover, the POL/ECON 
section engages in ongoing advocacy with the GRC and in dialogues 
with NGOs on a wide range of social and political issues affecting 
women.  The Embassy's December 16 human rights roundtable featured a 
discussion of women's rights.  The Self Help program at the Mission 
funds a program for vocational training for single mothers, as well 
as several grinding mill projects designed to benefit and employ 
women.  Carrying a banner against domestic violence, for the third 
year in a row, Embassy women (direct hires, LES and spouses) marched 
in the International Women's Day parade, presented a group at the 
Women's Day tribunal, and attended a Women's Day Luncheon March 8. 
The Embassy also assisted the Peace Corps in organizing a booth 
showcasing gender development projects in Cameroon, set up for the 
week around Women's Day. 
 
FOX 
 
[F1]I don't understand this phrase. 
[F2]What are "popular collective marriages"?  Mass marriage 
ceremonies?