MAROUA, CAMEROON — Activists in Cameroon are urging more women candidates to enter races for Senate seats before a January 28 deadline. Only 26 members of Cameroon's 100-member senate are women, a number advocates want to see doubled. But patriarchal beliefs and a lack of political support are preventing more women from contesting the March election.

Female activists have been visiting political party leaders in northern Cameroon to push for greater representation for women in Cameroon’s upper house of parliament, the Senate.

International IDEA, in collaboration with the European Commission (EC) and the Youth Political and Civic Engagement Cohort of the Summit for Democracy (S4D), held on 15 November 2022, an online peer-to-peer dialogue, Promoting the role of youth in political and democratic spaces. The event explored commitments on youth presented by governments at the S4D, drawing lessons learnt and identifying opportunities for further engagement for the Year of Action.

The deal to upholding women’s political participation and leadership in the 2023 presidential and General elections remains elusive and daunting, as the Woman Legislative Caucus of Liberia launches a two-day workshop for women aspirants to solicit support and mobilize more women to occupy the 30 percent space allotted to them at the Legislature.

The women taught fund-raising and campaign strategies and impact of legal framework on electoral process, among others.

On 29 November, the Action Coalition on Feminist Movements and Leadership, together with UN Women and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, held their first official commemoration of International Women Human Rights Defenders Day to centre the voices and experiences of women human rights defenders and call on the international community to provide them necessary public, political and financial support and protection.  

Jakarta, Indonesia – The Women’s Parliamentary Caucus of the Republic of Indonesia signed a declaration today to “condemn any form of gender-based violence that hinders women from fulfilling their equal rights” and to urge all groups to allow women to safely participate in politics.