Bamenda Ring Road Project: Women groups consulted to identify beneficial economic activities.

Government announced works were going to resume on the various portions, reason why a section of the beneficiaries who are women, have been strategising to see how they can make maximum gain from the project.

It is in this light that a consultation chaired by the Secretary General at the Governor’s Office, Bassiliken Magloire Georges, held in Bamenda on January 19.

Reach Out Cameroon, a non-governmental organisation, facilitated the discussions which brought together representatives of women groups selected from communities along the Ring Road stretch, women-led Civil Society Organisations and officials of UN Women charged with the implementation of this phase of the project.

The objective of the meeting was to gather useful information and recommendations from participants for effective implementation of the project.

It counts as part of the implementation of the third Transport Sector Support Program, which government through the Ministry of Public Works entrusted UN Women to implement alongside the Ring Road project in strengthening the economic empowerment of women living along the stretch of the project.

Some of the economic empowerment projects to be implemented on the sidelines of the Ring Road Project, identified by the participants range from construction of women's empowerment centres, opening of farm-to-market roads, construction of markets, provision of improved farming equipment like tractors, provision of improved seeds for planting, provision of water, electricity or solar energy, construction of hospitals, provision of capital for start-up businesses amongst others.

Speaking on behalf of the South West North West Women's Taskforce, Dr Eileen Tabuwe proposed “the involvement of women in the road construction process”, adding that a centre can be created to accommodate the women and their children. To her “more women should be involved at the management positions of the project process”.

Ngum Veronica representing the persons living with disabilities said there should be "accessibility for persons with disability taking into consideration the different impairments when constructing the Ring Road".

On her part, the Program Manager of Women Economic Empowerment at UN Women, Veye Estella Kinga, assured that the discussions during the consultation forum fall within their thematic area of intervention.

“We were here to have ideas on how to start with the implementation of the Ring Road project which we are concern with the economic empowerment of women alongside this road. With these proposals it will guide us in the course of implementation” Veye explains

According to Reach Out Cameroon's Omam Esther there will be more women and more proposals which is within what her organsation is mandated to do.

“When the time comes, we would have consultations at local levels. The decision on criteria for beneficiaries will be done by UN Women, mayors, traditional authorities and other government structures” she said

According to UN Women, the expected output of this project is to have rural women in the project area increase their production and productivity for food security and nutrition as well as gain access to markets for the sale of products through solid partnership with public and private actors.

The project will directly benefit close to 4000 persons, 140 women's cooperatives or associations and while 30.000 others will benefit indirectly.

Speaking during the consultation meeting, the North West Regional Delegate of Public Works Ngwaimbi Ayeah, assured all is being done to continue the process of the tarring the Ring Road.

“The proposal of award for the stretch from Kumbo, Nkambe and Misaje has already gone to our financing partner, the African Development Bank and any moment from now announcements will be made by the minister on the launching of the project” Ngwaimbi said.

The cost of the project is about 200 billion FCFA and funded by the African Development Bank while three contractors have been proposed to do the work.

The 357 km road runs from Finance junction in Bamenda 1 subdivision and goes through Tubah, Ndop, Babungo, Babessing, Jakiri, Kumbo, Ndu, Nkambe, Misaje, Wum, Bafut, Mankon to Hospital Roundabout of Bamenda II subdivision.