Betty Luma
Cameroon
I see the need to address the issue of obnoxious and vexatious laws that propagate the
discrimination against women.
I live in Douala, Cameroon. I am a member of International Federation of
Women Lawyers (FIDA) Cameroon. This is a women’s human rights organisation
that seeks to address the key issues that affect the rights and dignity of women
and girls in Cameroon. I am also a member of the National Commission
on Human Rights and Freedoms in Cameroon representing the key issues,
vulnerabilities and concerns of women.
I call myself a feminist because during the course of my work with FIDA
Cameroon I am constantly confronted with the realities of injustices against
women. Personally I am faced with the extreme loss and indignation that
result from having to engage with women whose lives seem characterised by
indignity, loss, and also so much psychological pain. Sometimes I feel like our
responses to these realities are like patching a wall on a shaky foundation.
My feminist action is driven by the need to strive daily for equality between
men and women and to pave the path to women’s equality. I see the need
to challenge the issue of obnoxious and vexatious laws that propagate the
discrimination against women.
In terms of the challenges of the African feminist movement, I believe we
encounter the backlash that happens as a result of misconceptions that brand
us as “hysterical females who are not capable of keeping their reason and
passion in balance”. Feminists are often shunned in a society where patriarchy
is prevailing and are thought to have borrowed strange ideas from western
cultures. African feminists face the challenge of breaking free from stereotypes
that keep women in subordinate status. At the collective level, in Cameroon,
the feminist movement is weak and lacks support from other women especially
the younger generation, who may not want to identify with their ideals.
However, every challenge does come with solutions. I believe we need to
promote synergy between African feminist associations and give space to
groups that consider themselves marginalized. We also need to actively and
consistently tackle the project of bringing younger feminists into the fold. We
have many advantages such as cyberspace and other ICT forums that can help
us reach more women (especially young women) and we have to use them
strategically and creatively.
In my own life, I resist any attacks against me and my person or anything that I
stand for as a feminist. I am personally involved in education of all and sundry
on women’s human rights. Both men and women, perpetrators a