Female mayors secure gains in political, social, economic and foreign spheres not only for their networks but also for their councils.
Female mayors now numbering 29 after the passing away of three; all elected in 2013, are making themselves heard thanks to growing dynamism and leadership in the political sphere since the advent of pluralism in the 1990s. Women have indeed come a long way because going back memory lane, only late Gladys Silo Steane Ramatou Endeley went on record as the first woman to be appointed Mayor of Buea in 1995. As more joined the fold over the years and given their numerical inferiority, female mayors amongst whom featured the venerable late Françoise Foning, Mayor of Douala V, started forming networks such as the Cameroonian branch of the Network of Locally-elected Women of Africa (REFELA-Cam). This network projected itself as participating in debates and reflections within the United Towns and Cities of Cameroon (CVUC) association and serving as an interface with the government of Cameroon. Cameroon Women Mayors Network (REFEMAC) was created in 2008 as another network pursuing the interests of its members.
“Women are coming and want to project themselves and work as a strong corps. It is thus not strange to find them forming networks. The weak need the strong and they can be strong by pooling together their forces. The men who are already in the dominant position do not really need that,” argued Prof. Emmanuel Yenshu, a political sociologist in the University of Buea. To many who wonder why more than one network of female mayors should exist, Prof. Yenshu responds that the democratic context that has given rise to pluralism of opinions and interests justifies the squabbles noticed among the existing networks.
Gains targeted behind these networks include political positioning vis-à-vis powers that be. Besides, by coming together, female mayors have a stronger bargaining strength in terms of resources for the development of their respective councils either through twinning with other foreign councils, obtaining membership in international local governance organisations to obtain funding assistance but also by being present in occasions to create a certain visibility. Acting as a group also increases the feeling of solidarity that is normal amongst women during times of sorrow and happiness. In these different regards, both networks have excelled in projecting female leadership in the local governance sphere. A level of cooperation and complementary is thus called upon to exist so as to boost the contribution of female leadership in the ongoing decentralisation process.
