By Sah Terence A.
While commemorating the 33rd edition of the international women’s day in the North West Region, Governor Adolphe Lele L’Afrique called on women to ensure their husbands and children avoid a further escalation of the anglophone crisis, by remaining peaceful. He warned that any further degeneration will put the woman in the most vulnerable position as she stands to suffer the most. He therefore appealed to the women to be promoters of peace and to continue to send their children to school.
The Governor enjoined men to stand by women and support them on the 50/50 parity by 2030 campaign and concluded by asking the women to register massively in Electoral registers in order to vote in the upcoming municipal, legislative and presidential elections.
Addressing the women, the President of Bamenda II women’s Network Mme. Mountessou Paulete Noel cautioned them to be aware that the women’s day is not a day for them to maltreat men or to scramble over women’s day fabric but to observe their achievements and chart a way forward.
She praised the efforts of government for ensuring equal opportunities for men and women alike, while asking for more, including positions like governor. She also requested that women too should be allowed to become traditional rulers, as she observed that in the whole of Mezam division, there was no female quarter head, talk less of a sub chief.
The event was spiced by some animation and the traditional march pass ceremony with some heads of services leading their respective services, like Prof. Theresia Akenji Nkuo of the University of Bamenda. The March pass that started at about 11:30 ended some 45mins later with an impressive show of fabric designs.
It is worth noting that the turn out of the women this year was quite impressive as compared to last year, given that there was tight security with military officers stationed all around the grandstand with some on roof tops.