Amidst the ongoing Anglophone crisis, 8th March 2017 edition of International Women’s Day celebrations in the towns and cities of the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon experienced a total boycott. Following the call for ghost towns on March 8th by the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, BaretaNews gathered that the turnout was not encouraging as ceremonial grounds were comprised mostly of women of the public service.
It should be reiterated that in the past four weeks, the Consortium persistently called on Southern Cameroons women to boycott the ceremony based on the fact that their leaders, husbands, children, and brothers can not be languishing in detention while they are out celebrating. Also, aggrieved Southern Cameroonians through the Consortium had called and demanded from the government the restoration of the internet, the release of all those arbitrarily arrested and detained, and complete demilitarisation of towns and cities in Southwest and Northwest Regions respectively.
Considering that government administration posed an indifferent attitude to their pleas, worst of all forcing Southern Cameroons stakeholders and parents to urge children to resume school, meets stiff resistance from the people. They persistently use non-violent civil disobedience strategies to resist, of which Women’s Day was one of such targets meant to send strong signals to the government and the world over.
Certainly, a majority of Southern Cameroons women heed the Consortium’s call. The usual excitement and activities that come with the celebrations were not impressive according to sources. Despite the Consortium’s call for boycott, some women particularly of the public sector showed up for the event. That notwithstanding, sources confirmed that in Buea, Bamenda and Kumba, women generally lacked the enthusiasm to participate.
In response, the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium expressed their gratitude to all Southern Cameroons women who boycotted the women’s day. They celebrate these women for standing their grounds and urged every Southern Cameroonian to be resolute until victory comes. Consortium’s interim leaders Mark Bareta and Tanpang Ivo had this to say to Southern Cameroons women: “Your solidarity with the oppressed people of our homeland has been tremendous. Your constant calls and text messages, relaying information from the Consortium to our people, and finally boycotting your day is one that history will write home about.”
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