Queens and female traditional rulers drawn from Cameroon’s ten region have adopted a wide range of recommendations and measures aimed at stopping child marriages, rape and unwanted pregnancies in their respective communities. The resolve was made in Yaoundé recently during the 2nd national conference of Queens for Peace International bringing together over 100 queens and female traditional rulers from across the country.
After brainstorming last July 10, 11 and 12, 2018 at the Yaoundé Conference Centre under the theme “Together for the Safety of the Girl and Respect for All,”, the Queens committed to create safe spaces in their various palaces to accommodate girls who are victims of child marriage in crisis situation, to identify mothers and work with them in communities where child marriage is practiced, to spearhead campaign against child marriage, rape or unwanted pregnancies in their communities, to encourage dialogue between children, their parents and teachers, to denounce people who encourage child marriage, the Queens should take ownership of the dispositions of the new penal code which punishes culprits of child early and forced marriages.
During the conference presided over by the Minister of Women Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie Therese Abena Ondoa, participants urged the government to undertake law reform measures that seek to harmonize national laws with the African Children’s Charter, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on Human and People’s rights as well as other regional and international instruments protecting the child against such marriage.
The government was equally advice to equip law enforcement agencies and social welfare services with the requisite logistics, technical and human resources, capacity building of personnel to enable them better identify and investigate cases of early marriage and provide support to children at risk and their families.
Participants passed a vote of thanks on the NGO, Women in Alternative Action, WAA Cameroon for creating Queens for Peace International and bringing them together to reflect on the way forward to end child marriage.
WAA-Cameroon was commended and urged to translate the film The Vile they have produced into other languages for wider advocacy and sensitisdation; develop programmes with QPI and all other stakeholders to advocate for social norms transformation. Community social norms include customs, traditions, cultural or religious practices that subjugate women and play a preponderant role in shaping community attitudes and behaviors including gender considerations and sometimes used to justify gender based violence in general, and child marriage in particular. WAA Cameroon arrange for the organization of a legal counseling session with QPI members and implement radio programmes on legal counseling.
Asked how the concept of Queens for Peace International came about, the Executive Director of WAA Cameroon, Justine Kwachu Ngum Kumche said it was created in 2009 by WAA Cameroon after they realized that when Fons in Cameroon travel to attend meetings, they come along with their Queens but allow them at their hotels while they go to deliberate.
“We were inspired by Resolution 1325 which calls on women to participate in peace processes at all levels. As wives of traditional rulers whose voices are heard and respected by other community women, we decided to bring them together. We opted for pillow diplomacy since Queens testify to have succeeded to convince their husbands while in bed against child marriage.”
The conference was organized with support from Amplify Change, CUSO International and the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family.