SNWOT members after presserThe problem, they argued, is both urgent and structural. Nearly a decade into the Anglophone crisis, women and girls continue to bear disproportionate consequences, from displacement and disrupted education to gender based violence and economic hardship. Yet, despite their frontline role in sustaining communities and mediating local tensions, their voices remain largely absent from formal peace processes, including key engagements surrounding the papal visit.
“We are talking of women who have undergone pain, have seen suffering, have experienced GBV, killing and abduction,” SNWOT Secretary General Ndema Irene said.
“If the women are not invited to the tables, please carry your own chair to the table. That is what SNWOT has just done.” she added
That intervention took the form of a press conference backed by grassroots consultation. SNWOT members conducted interviews across churches, markets and youth groups in Bamenda, gathering what they described as a people driven brief of expectations ahead of the Pope’s visit. The result was both a critique and a proposal.
Dr Eileen Tabuwe Akwo, North West Regional Coordinator of SNWOT, made the gap explicit.
“We expected that as a leading women led peace building network… we were naturally going to have a space and opportunity to represent the voices of women in front of the Pope... We realised that the voices of women are not present in that space.” she said.
Rather than retreat, the group moved to shape the agenda. Their press statement outlines a clear solution framework anchored on inclusive dialogue, faith based mediation corridors, ceasefire commitments and protection of civilians. Central to this is the insistence that women, youth and marginalised groups must move from the margins to decision making tables.
SNWOT points to its track record across the North West and South West regions, where women have facilitated mediation, advocated for schooling, supported displaced families and participated in national and international peace initiatives. Their argument is that sustainable peace infrastructure already exists at community level but lacks formal recognition and political backing.
“War is expensive. Peace is priceless,” Emma Lebaga said, reinforcing the moral urgency of the moment. “We have suffered. We have cried a lot. Many people have died… we ask God to give the Pope the courage… to bring peace.”
SNWOT's leadership hopes to influence the moral messaging of Pope Leo XIV during his visit by ensuring that the realities and proposals of women reach him, even if indirectly as well as to shift national and international attention back to an often overlooked conflict, reframing it through the lens of inclusion and accountability.
SNWOT’s closing position is unambiguous. This visit, they argue, must move beyond symbolism to substance.
“The voices of women can no longer be sidelined. Sustainable peace in Cameroon is impossible without the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women.” the General Coordinator of SNWOT Andiensa Clotilda noted
In a context where access to power remains tightly controlled, the women’s strategy is deliberate as they insist that if the door remains closed, they will build their own platform and speak through it until they are heard.
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By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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