Human Rights: The Role of Media In Mitigating and Tips on Reporting cases of Gender Base Violence Elaborated Upon By Medicins du Monde Suisse.

By Martial Gnoukapasir.

The North West Region  is most often not exempted when findings  in relation to cases of human rights violations and abuses are being presented in Cameroon today.

   Now our days it's very common to spot children  under the age of 10 along the streets of Bamenda hawking bitter cola, banana, sweets, biscuits with some going the extra mile of selling condoms and cigarettes. When you ask questions  it's easy to get responses like

 "Our parents gave us these items to sell".  "They say we should sell so as to support ourselves in the next coming school year".

Telling poster on GBV

  Cases of child trafficking, sexual harassment, rape, incest torture, battery, genital mutilations, assault early marriage etc amongst children especially the girl child are becoming rampant in the region. The bitter truth one finds hard to swallow is that majority of these cases go unnoticed and the perpetrators go unpunished either because some families of survivors or victims thinks it's a *taboo* discussing them, or becaus of bribary and corruption within the judiciary ladder of action.

    There's a new concept  which is becoming common with cases of rape & incest, engaged by members of both families of survivors and perpetrators refered to as the _Mutually beneficial settlement_, which doesn't take into consideration, the plight and pains of survivors/victims. It leaves survivors with a stigma while their parents/guardians amass wealth from their sufferings. 

Jane Francis Mufua. Gender Rights advocate
Tips to consider in treating/Reporting cases of GBV
- Avoid details that exposes the survivors.
-Avoid judgemental languages.
- Talk/consult experts.
-Interview should be conducted in a secure environment.
- Use the right terminology.
Explain objective of interview when talking to survivors.
-Respect survivors right to decline.
-Avoid questions that are sensitive on the persons culture etc

    The above is just a summary write up on how common, cases of rights abuses has become and how nasty such violations and abuses are treated not just in the Region but in the country as a whole.

    In a series of attempts to curb these excesses, Medicins du Monde Suisse, a front line international human rights advocacy organisation operating in Cameroon with head quarters in Yaounde, away from putting in place structures such as the _listening and orientation unit at the Bamenda regional hospital, for the evaluation and follow up of cases of GBV, has also embarked on a series of training program for Media men and women, to enable improve their skills in communicating social  behaviors/attitude for change.

    The recent meeting with Journalists from the mainstream and digital media outfits on Saturday June 1st in Bamenda provided a platform for both stakeholders to share experiences in gathering and treating cases of SGBV. 

   The Press men and women began by splitting in groups, designing posters, banners that could and would subsequently be implemented to draw the attention of the population on the various categories and types of GBV. 

Telling poster on GBV

    They were also lectured on some of their roles and responsibilities, the appropriate terminologies to use when reporting such violations as well as the tips/factors to consider and respect in reporting human right abuses against children, especially that of the girl child.

Jane Francis Mufua. Gender Rights advocate
Tips to consider in treating/Reporting cases of GBV
- Avoid details that exposes the survivors.
-Avoid judgemental languages.
- Talk/consult experts.
-Interview should be conducted in a secure environment.
- Use the right terminology.
Explain objective of interview when talking to survivors.
-Respect survivors right to decline.
-Avoid questions that are sensitive on the persons culture etc