COMINSUD Engages Media Actors In The Fight Against GBV, Sexual And Reproductive Health Promotion.

By Gnoukapasi Martial. 

 A situational analyses of the socio economic and cultural impacts of the ongoing crisis on the anglophone population of Cameroon, has revealed more than meets the ordinary eye. 

  Statistics from the IRC (international red cross committee) has further  revealed that since the start of the crisis, over 70% of women aged 15 to 35 are more exposed to abuse.

  Women and children who are the highest to have suffered displacement from their homes are not only faced with the problem of accommodation, but the inability to meet their basic needs as well. 

 This has pushed alot, out of frustration, to adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms, in an attempt to satisfy their wants and needs, and believe you me that, some of the strategies and tactics employed hasn't been the best, and has futher exposed them to cases of gender abuse in their host communities. 

  Most of these women, especially the girls just by the virtue of the fact that they now share shelter, water points, latrines, showers and other facilities with their host community, futher exposes them to risks of sexual violence, which evidently has been on the rise since the escalation of the ongoing crisis. 

    It is for the above mentioned 

reasons and more that COMINSUD (Community Initiative for Sustainable Development) in collaboration with UNFPA(United Nations Population Fund), have  embarked on a campaign to reinforce it's fight against the ill, while raising more awareness on sexual and Reproductive health for behavioral change. 

    A workshop to this effect for Media men and Women amongst which included pidgin and local language broadcasters, online media promoters, engaged to accompany the implementation and intensification of the fight against gender base violence(GBV) and Promotion of sexual reproductive health(SRH) campaign, took place thursday 19th in Bamenda, chief town of the north west region. 

   The media practitioners have designed spots, micro programs, social media banners and posters on 5 thematics, that's ;

- Safe delivery

- Menstrual hygiene

- Family planning 

- HIV/AIDS, and

 - GBV(gender base violence),  that will help drive the message across to the community.

  Facilitators at the workshop included Mrs Eseni Cordelia, mezam divisional delegate for women's empowerment and family, Mr David Ayim, a reproductive health expert and Pedmia Shatu Tita, journalist and communication strategist. 

  The MINPROFF GBV expert says much is expected from the media practionals who'll be accompanying Cominsud in the implemention of the project:

"we expect the journalists to be able to not only raise the  awareness they are supposed to, but give out the information on gender base violence in the rightful manner, such that the survivors will not be further victimized or stigmatized. We will  equally be expecting to see the population responding in a positive way, where we'll have a drop in the number of cases of GBV happening in our community as well as witness a situation where men and women will be coming up to report cases/Instances of GBV."