Efforts to strengthen the participation of women in peacebuilding and local governance in the North West Region have taken a major step with the public presentation of gender policies developed for councils, churches and village development associations (VDAs).
Presented during an advocacy meeting organised by the Centre for Advocacy in Gender Equality and Action for Development (CAGEAD) in Bamenda on Wednesday 8 July 2026, the policies are expected to provide institutional frameworks that promote inclusive leadership, gender-responsive decision-making and sustainable peace at the grassroots.
The meeting brought together local authorities, traditional and religious leaders, representatives of government ministries, civil society organisations and community leaders from Bamenda III and Tubah municipalities to endorse the policies and reaffirm their commitment to implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.
The initiative forms part of the project "building resilience and inclusive local institutions and empowering local women leaders in the implementation of the National Action Plan II for the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, implemented by CAGEAD with support from the European Union and Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Opening the meeting, the North West Regional Delegate for Women's Empowerment and the Family, Wirba Hassan described the localisation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda as a practical response to the challenges facing communities affected by conflict.
He commended CAGEAD for moving beyond policy discussions to community-level implementation.
"I am glad CAGEAD has adopted a community approach, starting from the grassroots. This is exactly how the Women, Peace and Security Agenda should be implemented."
She noted that Cameroon has already developed a National Action Plan to domesticate United Nations Security Council Resolution UNSCR 1325, but stressed that its success depends on translating national commitments into local action.
"The best policies remain ineffective if people at community level do not know them or use them. What CAGEAD is doing is taking these commitments to the people who need them most." he said
The Regional Delegate said strengthening women's participation in conflict resolution and community leadership would allow communities to devote more energy to development rather than disputes.
"If communities learn to resolve conflicts through dialogue instead of prolonged disputes, they will have more time and resources to focus on agriculture, local development and economic growth."
Presenting the objectives of the gathering, CAGEAD Chief Executive Officer Andiensa Clotilda Waah said the event marked the culmination of a year-long process of working with councils, churches and village development associations to identify institutional barriers limiting women's participation in leadership.
She explained that previous interventions focused on establishing Community Peace Clubs, training Peace Ambassadors and supporting women leaders at community level.
However, CAGEAD realised that sustainable change required stronger institutional frameworks.
"We realised something was still missing. Institutions lacked documented policies that could guide and protect women's participation in leadership and decision-making."
That finding informed the development of gender policies for Bamenda III Council, Tubah Council, churches and Village Development Associations.
"Today is about is about advocating for the adoption of policies that will become part of how these institutions function."
Clotilda Waah described the gathering as an important step towards aligning local governance with Cameroon's National Action Plan II on Women, Peace and Security.
Project Officer Germaine Njeh traced the initiative to international and national commitments aimed at strengthening women's role in peacebuilding.
She explained that although Cameroon adopted a National Action Plan to implement UNSCR 1325, awareness and implementation remained limited at grassroots level.
"Many local institutions were still unfamiliar with the National Action Plan and the opportunities it offers for strengthening women's participation in governance and peacebuilding."
According to her, the project sought to bridge that gap by strengthening the capacity of women leaders, engaging male allies, mentoring women councillors and facilitating institutional reforms.
Among the project's achievements were the training of 30 women leaders from Bamenda III and Tubah municipalities, capacity building for religious and community leaders, coaching and mentorship programmes, and the development of gender-responsive institutional policies.
Stakeholders welcomed the policies and pledged to validate, adopt and integrate them into institutional governance systems, development plans and budgeting processes.
Participants acknowledged that inclusive institutions are essential for building sustainable peace, particularly in communities recovering from years of conflict.
The meeting concluded with renewed commitments from local authorities, traditional rulers, church leaders and civil society organisations to work together in implementing the policies and ensuring women play a greater role in shaping decisions that affect their communities.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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