At Regional Summit: Plan Int’l drilling girls to be own rights promotion, protection actors.

The summit which brings together students and young girls, according to organisers, falls in line with the 16 Days of Activism to end Violence against Women and Girls, which is observed this year under the theme: “Unite, Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls”.

The summit, organisers added, is also in continuation of the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child. 

The Inspector No. 1 at the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Maïpa Wespa, presided over the opening ceremony of the summit on behalf of Minister Marie Therese Abena Ondoa. 

Maïpa Wespa hailed Plan International Cameroon for their support towards the empowerment and training of young girls.

She saluted the determination and commitment of young girls to change the narrative and steer positive change in the community by using their voices and networks to raise awareness about Gender-Based Violence. 

“Because of the gender norms and stereotypes in our society, you are particularly vulnerable to such violence but you can be the key to rolling back the ill. As the saying goes, anything for you, without you is against you. It is our duty to support and empower you,” Maïpa Wespa told young girls. 

She expressed the wish the two days of discussions will arm the young girls with the tools and skills to scale up the fight against the vices.

“We are ready to listen and take the necessary changes to ensure that all your rights are respected and you are able to live up to your full potentials,” she promised.

Enter Plan Int’l Cameroon boss

The Country Director of Plan International Cameroon, Mohamed Bah, in his opening remarks, said the Regional Girls' Summit is also an opportunity which seeks to call for more funding to be allocated to their activism to ensure protection of rights of girls. 

“It emerged that one in five girls, or 17% of young women activists, fears for her safety in the course of her work, girl activists face countless risks from hostile community members to oppressive surveillance and online abuse,” Bah said. 

The society, he regretted, has witnessed a series of movements and actions aimed at restricting the rights of girls and women and rolling back progress on gender equality.

Such practices, he said, particularly have severe consequences on girls, be it at the level of their maternal healthcare, access to quality education, parenting support for teenage mothers, digital and life skills training, leadership, comprehensive sexual education, support services for survivors or violence prevention programme.

“There is an urgent need to give more attention and resources to the key areas that enable girls to exercise their rights and realise their full potential,” he stated.

Bah said exchanges at the regional summit, which is anchored on the theme of the 16 Days of Activism to end Violence Against Women and Girls, will be moderated by the young girls.

Focus, he said, will seek to “promote a synergy of action, to understand and address the issues of the young girl, by and with young girls…”.

“…their activities will include dialogue, workshop sessions on key themes such as preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence against girls, empowerment and the promotion of the rights of girls,” he added. 

Officials flanked by some participants at the end of the opening ceremony

Call for synergy in action

The Plan International Cameroon Country Director equally used the opportunity to hail government for making the fight to combat violence against girls and women a priority. He was unequivocal that: “together, we can do more”.

“As part of our Country Strategy in its Programme Number III, we are committed to ensuring that all vulnerable children, especially girls, are protected from abuse, violence, and live in communities that are stronger and more responsive to sensitive systems and mechanisms that oppose perpetrators of violence, including in emergency and development situations,” he stated. 

Bah said every single day, girls and young women around the world are creating real change but their potential is not being fully recognised or utilised. This, he said, necessitates the need for them to be “provided with access to key decision-making spaces”.

“Statistics show that at this rate, it will take another 131 years to achieve gender equality but we are ready to stand by you to speed up the process,” Bah pledged.

Plan International, he explained, works to advance the rights of children and equality for girls. Its ambition is to break the barriers and stereotypes that keep girls at the back, preventing them from achieving their full potentials. 

It is also engaged with partners to empower children, youths and their communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability.

Regional Girls’ Summit in brief

The Regional Girls’ Summit according to organisers aims to define a space of influence at three fundamental levels: government policies, social practices and economic perspectives.

The objective officials say is to promote a synergy of reflections and actions that put the rights of young girls at the heart of concerns, in order to understand and support young girls in a coordinated and effective manner in the face of their specific obstacles.