Special Status women meet to sharpen political skills
By Wilson Musa
Some women from the North West and South West regions, considered today as Special Status regions are meeting in Buea to discuss a comprehensive way forward for more women and girls of the regions to be involved in the political decisions.
Organized by the National School of Local Administration, NASLA, the women are brainstorming on the theme, “Enhancing women’s political participation in the Special Status regions in Cameroon.”
The Director of NASLA, Tanyitiku Bayee, the meeting will put more confidence in the women to partake in political issues in Cameroon and there could have been no other way than to empower the women in the Special Status regions, “We are working out a way where we could bring together some women leaders in the northwest and in the South West regions so that among themselves they can brainstorm, share experiences, build up each other’s needs in how they can better participate in elections in Cameroon,” he said during an interview.
Participants raised several issues concerning women’s involvement in politics, recommending that the government should also consider women being director generals, governors, SDOs, and other posts of responsibilities, Hon Agbor Tambe Martina told Hi TV Cameroon.
The women are expected to use the knowledge gained during the workshop and reach out to women in the hinterlands.
The word Special Status was first used in 2020 when President Paul Biya granted the two English-speaking North West and South West regions autonomy over local issues as a means to bury secessionist movements that gained momentum when Cameroon forces used live bullets on Anglophone minority protesters in 2016. The autonomy granted to the regions has not witnessed any changes in the lives of the people, observes say the same ruling CPDM party and Biya’s appointments of regional representatives make a mockery of the Special Status.
