Activities to commemorate the day of the African Woman ended last Tuesday in Yaounde.

Two days after the official commemoration of the Day of the African Woman, Cameroon on August 2, 2016 commemorated the day with words of gratitude to the Head of State for the promulgation of a new Penal Code which takes into consideration the rights of women, children and the family.

Presiding over activities in Yaounde on the theme; “Promoting Human Rights with Emphasis on Women’s Rights: Cameroon Reaffirms its Commitment” the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Marie Therese Abena Ondoa née Obama underscored the positive strides made by the country to ensure that the rights of woman are respected.

The new Penal Code, according to Professor Marie Therese Abena Ondoa, has enabled Cameroon not only to concretise its commitments to global and regional frameworks regarding women’s rights, but equally to protect women from repugnant cultural norms and practices that have hitherto exposed them to every kind of ill treatment.

The law marks a great stride towards the attainment of gender equality especially as it has not only taken into consideration gender-based violence but has reinforced suctions laid down when certain rights of women are violated. Minister Marie Therese Abena says the way forward now is the valorisation of these laws so that everybody in the nooks and crannies of the country know about them and apply when necessary.   

While noting that today women in Cameroon have a place of choice when it comes to decision making in the country, the Vice President of the Pan African Women’s Organisation, Madeleine Tefack made a call for women to organise a campaign of love, tolerance, fraternity and peace so as not to be accomplices to what is happening to girls and women all over the world as they are victims of rape and kidnap, amongst other things.  During the event, women who had undertaken ICT training at the African Institute of Computer Sciences (IAI) were awarded certificates.