Women in the ten regions of Cameroon will soon be equipped with smartphones, computers, and internet access to facilitate the use of online platforms to fight gender-based violence.
The women were schooled on the role of ICT’s in fighting gender-based violence and women’s empowerment during restitution workshops held recently in the 10 regional headquarters, grouping women from all walks of life, especially those in enclaved areas.
“Women should know that digitalization is an opportunity for them regardless of where they are. Make use of this opportunity because you can become someone who influences the world from your house,” M. Mboum, support staff of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication in Douala regional delegation said.
These restitution workshops follow a national forum held last November in Yaoundé on the “role of digital technologies and innovation in the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment”. The national forum was an initiative of the Cameroon Indigenous Women’s Forum, CAIWOF.
“The participants of the restitution workshops emphasized what they learnt during the forum especially how to avoid being abused online. Women were also educated on how to be economically empowered through responsible use of digital platforms,” Bouba Aeisatu, Executive President of CAIWOF, told CRTV Web.
The restitution exercise was carried out in collaboration with partners from regional delegations of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, and the regional branches of the Cameroon Human Rights Commission (CDHC).
Help from Digital Technology
According to the National Information and Communication Technologies Agency (ANTIC), the internet penetration rate in Cameroon was 36.5% in 2022. Women represented 41.6% of social media users, compared to 58.4% for men.
“We have realized that women don’t have access to digital technology and innovation. They have limited access to digital tools like computers, phones and limited access to the internet and encounter frequent outages especially in the rural areas,” the CAIWOF Executive President said.
The restitution workshops were aimed at encouraging more women in the regions to use these tools responsibly. They were also schooled on the role of digital technologies and innovation in the promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
“We see online harassment of women, especially those who don’t use these platforms in a responsible way. We think these workshops are going to educate women on how to use digital technology and innovation so that they can empower themselves and fight against gender-based violence. With their phones, they can raise money that could permit them take care of their children and family, and reduce the financial burden on their husbands,” the women’s rights advocate, and senior welfare officer stated.
The capacities of participants on the use of technology and innovation to promote and defend women’s rights were also strengthened during the restitution workshops.
“We will see how to mobilize resources to make sure that we improve access to mobile phones, computers, internet and solve some electricity problems for these women especially those in the grassroots,” Aeisatu Bouba said.
Organizers hope that more women will join the bandwagon of those championing the use of digital technologies to better their lives and their communities.
Kathy Neba Sina
