At annual confab: Women's empowerment ministry staff brainstorm on boosting performance.

The event, holding at the Yaounde Conference Centre, is holding under the theme: “Reconciling social action in favour of women and families and the mobilisation of budgetary resources”.

The conference is expected ended May 6. Officials used the gathering to make recommendation that will help push the activities of the ministry forward.

The opening ceremony of the conference was chaired by the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoa. 

This was in the presence of the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motaze. It brought together some 355 participants from across the country. 

Minister Abena Ondoa in her opening remarks noted that beyond the meetings, the conference serves as a crucial forum for discussion, exchange and strategic planning.

She said the conference is aimed at improving service delivery and meeting the mandates assigned by President Biya. 

She said as part of its mission, the ministry continually assesses its past performances, reviewing achievements, strengths, weaknesses, and emerging challenges. 

The minister said the annual conference enables officials of the ministry to review past performances, results achieved, as well as review strengths and weaknesses of actions.

She said it was also an avenue to map strategies to tackle major difficulties, set new targets to be reached, innovative approaches and techniques to be implemented.

The 2025 conference, the minister said, is particularly significant, given the increasingly complex socio-economic environment marked by financial constraints, security challenges and social concerns such as the alarming rise of femicide. 

“We need to step up our efforts to raise awareness and educate the masses in order to prevent certain crises whose effects on the entire social fabric could be disastrous,” she added.

Challenges in a changing society

According to the member of government, the country faces multiple challenges, ranging from economic difficulties to energy crises, which pose threats to national development and social cohesion. 

In response, she said government has placed special emphasis on mobilising additional revenue sources beyond traditional taxation which is referred to as “Non-Fiscal Revenues”.

She said the funds are intended to strengthen the nation's financial sustainability.

Strategic goals, innovations

According to the minister, participants also explored various solutions, including maintaining free social services while aligning efforts with the government's financial imperatives. 

Discussions also covered key provisions in Cameroon's Finance Laws from 2023 to 2025, with a focus on Article 33 of the 2025 Finance Law, which outlines specific strategies for non-fiscal revenue generation within the ministry.

She noted that another highlight of the conference is the introduction of a new government-managed application designed to enhance Payroll and Personnel Management Software Application, AIGLE. 

The tool aims to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks and improve administrative efficiency, ensuring smoother career and salary management processes.

The conference also sought contributions from experts across various ministries, including the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reform.

Their insights shed light on the broader challenges and opportunities linked to balancing financial obligations with effective social policies.

The minister encouraged participants to engage in discussions with analytical rigor, actively contributing ideas and recommendations to shape practical solutions. 

She expressed the hope that by the end of the conference, concrete resolutions and actionable strategies will emerge, ensuring the efficient implementation of the ministry’s interventions in some years ahead.