Cameroon

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.

Civic groups, political parties and the government are pleading for the women of Cameroon to vote in next week's local and parliamentary elections, despite threats by separatist groups who have vowed to disrupt the polls.

Female candidates, and women who campaigned on behalf of others fear their efforts may amount to nothing if women do not come out to vote.

Delegations of women in Cameroon are visiting towns and villages to encourage women to run for office in the upcoming February local and parliamentary elections.  Although half the population, women make up less than a third of Cameroon’s 180 lawmakers and just six percent of the country’s 380 mayors.

Members of the activist group More Women in Politics try to convince 62-year old Diedonne Kemche to allow one of his six wives to run as candidate for the local council election.

A two-day capacity building workshop is ongoing at the Yaounde Mont Fébé Hotel.

YAOUNDE — Political parties in Cameroon have set an ambitious goal ahead of this year’s polls — to put women in at least 30 percent of elected offices.

An all-female orchestra plays as 300 women selected from associations around Cameroon campaign in markets, universities and popular spots in the capital, asking women to register to vote.

YAOUNDE — In Cameroon, civil society groups marked this year's International Women's Day by urging women to register to vote and take on larger roles in decision making in their communities.

The non-governmental organization, More Women in Politics, has signed a partnership agreement with the government of Cameroon to empower hundreds of youth and women in elections.