Washington, DC – Stella Fomumbud, a member of the Women’s Democracy Network (WDN) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED) Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow spoke at a NED-sponsored forum where she presented the program, From the Grassroots to the Nation: Promoting Women’s Rights and Political Participation in Cameroon.

WDN Director Michelle Bekkering served as commentator at the event, and presented WDN’s initiatives to increase women’s political participation globally through members like Fomumbud, while NED Fellowship Program Director, Sally Blair, moderated the discussion.

The presentation centered on Cameroon’s male-dominated political system, which according to Fomumbud, largely excludes women from social, economic and political life. Though Cameroon has taken large steps focused on increasing women’s participation in various sectors, such as creating the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, social and cultural malpractices continue to exist.

Today, only 13.8 percent of parliamentary positions, two percent of mayoral positions and 16 percent of ministerial positions are held by women. Through her nongovernmental organization, the Inter-Faith Vision Foundation of Cameroon (IVFCam), Fomumbud has partnered with 53 villages to promote of women’s rights, increase the number of women serving on the local councils and provide governance training for the village councils and municipalities. She also successfully lobbied for the passage of gender equality laws, such as the Metta Charter on Widowhood which allows widows to individual rights after their husband die, including the right to retain property and custody of their children. IVFCam also created the Rural Women’s Empowerment Fund, which assists women in procuring farm tools, seeds and farm land to ensure their sustenance.

Through IVFCam, Fomumbud now envisions establishing a “Center on Community Education for Democracy and Development” that will provide equal opportunities for all sectors of society. She also intends to expand the empowerment fund into a national microcredit bank, to increase women’s financial independence.

WDN applauds the efforts of women like Fomumbud who are partners in the mission to empowering women to public, political and economic life.