Skip to main content

Some 15 adolescent girls and young women have been drilled on using their voices to advocate for the inclusion of Adolescent Girls and Young Women AGYW in decision making processes especially within The Global Fund Processes for HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights SRHR services provision. 

This was during a workshop within the 'Her Voice Matters: Give Her the Space to Fight Project', executed by COMAGEND Cameroon which is funded by Her Voice Fund and its partners that took place on November 26th 2020 in Bamenda.

The Strategic Planning Workshop, was declared open by the Country lead for the 'Her Voice Funds' Mme Waah Clotilda the founder/CEO of the Center for Advocacy in Gender and Development CAGEAD. 

Speaking during the event she notes that, "many adolescent girls and young women live through very hard situations because of the decisions taken on their behalf, and so it is very important that these girls understand what happens to them and be part of the decision making".


The workshop had as facilitators Mme Awah Francisca the founding director of Survivor's Network and a human trafficking advocate, who drilled the participants on Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization, along side Dr Enow Awah Georges, a Y+ Global board member, who after his words 'nothing for us without us', drilled the participants on The Global Fund processes, and encouraged them to continue to participate in issues that concerns them.

"Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization module, sets the tone for participants to push ahead and use the opportunity therein to suit whatever main advocacy objective they want to pick up for their humanitarian venture." Says Mme Awah Francisca.


On his part, Dr. Enow Awah noted that Participants should be actively involved in making their decisions because they are the vulnerable group and more proned to HIV/AIDS.


Liz Lum, the Project Lead for the Her Voice Matters added that "We are training these adolescent girls and young women on various advocacy and communication skills amidst other programs, and we expect that they should be able to monitor policy processes in Cameroon, and ensure that they occupy the places and spaces where decisions are being made about them. 


In a nutshell, the thrilling and educative program was termed timely, as young women were encouraged to use their voices to advocate for adolescent girls and young women's inclusion in decision making processes especially within the framework of HIV/AIDS as well as Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights service provision within their communities.  


In response to the lessons received, satisfactory expressions were evident from participants. "Today I came expecting to learn how to use my voice as a medium to advocate for other girls and how to use my voice to serve my community.  So far my expectations have been met because I can now use my voice as a communication tool, better mobilize and integrate my voice with other voices to make a change." 


Participants explains 

"Coming in here my mindset was focused on seeing how the workshop can help me improve on the quality of advocacy we do for adolescent girls and young women to be heard, how we can change the philosophy of AGYW being passive recipients of actions to initiators and executors of actions so that their needs are adequately addressed in policy matters."

"My expectations have been met and I have also been challenged to create, claim and influence spaces that decide my fate as adolescent girls and young women AGYW". Another adds.


It should be recalled that this workshop is coming at a time when countless number of rape cases have been recorded in the country as well as sexual harassments. 

This situation continues to increase the number of AGYW infected by HIV/AIDS. However, it is hoped that such an initiative, will go a long way to school young girls to have a voice in order to shun any abuse on their sexuality, sexual harassment as well as early Marriages. 

By Nai Vonna.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wum Gears Up for a Flawless 4th General Population Census: Over 50 Enumerators Empowered for Success.

The air in Wum subdivision is buzzing with a renewed sense of purpose as over 50 dedicated individuals are currently undergoing intensive training for the upcoming 4th General Population Census. These aspiring enumerators are being equipped with the essential skills and knowledge to ensure this crucial national exercise is conducted not just accurately, but also with remarkable efficiency and without a hitch. The comprehensive training workshop, a vital precursor to the census, is meticulously designed to instill confidence and expertise in each participant. From understanding census methodologies to mastering data collection tools and ethical considerations, these individuals are being thoroughly schooled to deliver a flawless enumeration process. Leading the charge in this endeavor is  the esteemed Controller, Mr. Ebua Christantus. His presence and unwavering support underscores the significance of the census for the future of Wum subdivision. During the training sessions, he passion...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking the Cycle: Confronting Gender-Based Violence and Drug Abuse in Bamenda

In a bid to tackle the pressing issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and drug abuse, the "Adjust for Me" project, implemented by Common Action for Gender Development (COMAGEND), has been making strides in the Ntarikon 2 community, Bamenda. The project, which aims to raise awareness and educate the community on the causes, consequences, and prevention of GBV and drug abuse, has been well-received by community members. According to Nde Christopher, a community spokesperson trained within the context of the project, the initiative has been instrumental in sensitizing the community on the ills of GBV and drug abuse. "We have organized door-to-door sensitization efforts, reaching many community members and educating them on the importance of addressing GBV and drug abuse," Christopher explained. The project has also provided a platform for community members to share their experiences and concerns regarding GBV and drug abuse. Swirri Adeline, a community member who parti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Peace journalists in Bamenda aquaint themselves with skills on humanitarian reporting and security/safety of journalists

By Amamboh Carrey-Pride "The security of every journalist should come first for you cannot be a reporter in the grave" . This statement was  made by Fonyuy Kiven Frankline, the information officer at the United Nations for the coordination of humanitarian affairs, on December 27 2019 at Ntamulung church center hall as he trained peace journalists in Bamenda on humanitarian reporting and Security/safety of journalists. Organized by the Cameroon community media Network CCMN Northwest chapter, mr Funyuy Kiven trained the journalists present,  on the importance of always taking into consideration, your safety and security, before embarking on any mission. He mentioned for example that " in a crisis zone as the North west region, a journalist should not be part of a military convoy" .  He equally called on female journalists to prevent sexual violence on the field by putting on thicker clothes and equally knowing the customs of the society wh...
Post a Comment
Read more