Conference
11.10.2022

CRISP and Cameroonian women simulate Peace.

First-Ever National Woman’s Negotiations for Peace in Cameroon Conference:  Women at the center of peace processes

From September 19th until 21st 2022, connected to the United Nations International Day of Peace, the first-ever National Woman’s Negotiations for Peace in Cameroon Conference took place in Yaoundé in the presence of the Minister of the Promotion of Women and the Family, Madame Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoa, as a representative of the Prime Minister and the Head of Government of Cameroon. The three-day conference took place in the presence of CRISP team, 60 women and civil society members from different regions of Cameroon, representatives of Cameroonian authorities, Cameroonian diaspora, community representatives as well as diplomats. The conference fostered discussions on possible pathways to peace in the three main conflicts in Cameroon: (1) the fight against Boko Haram in the extreme north, (2) the inter-ethnic conflicts and refugee management in the east region (3) the anglophone crisis in the north-west and south-west region. In cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Cameroon, who organized the conference, CRISP developed and implemented three simulation games for the peace negotiations within the three regions, which were running simultaneously during the conference. After three days of intensive discussions, the women were able to present a national peace treaty and handed it over to the Minister for the Promotion of Women and the Family (MINPROFF). 3 roadmaps for peace in the three regions were also developed and presented. Based on this, possible next steps for implementation of the results on the local and national levels were discussed.