UN Women awarded for its support to women and girls affected by Boko Haram

On 25 April 2017 in Yaoundé, 12,000 beneficiaries who are mainly vulnerable women and girls (refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities) including Boko Haram survivors in the Far North Region of Cameroon will receive support from UN Women Cameroon for holistic GBV (gender-based violence) response and prevention, economic empowerment, social cohesion and coordination for a period of one year beginning April 2017.

This is thanks to another allocation of USD 1.170 million of supplementary funds which the government of Japan has provided to UN Women Cameroon to fight against extremism through adequate support to women and girls affected by the humanitarian crisis in the Far North Region of Cameroon.

From L-R: Adama Moussa, Representative of UN Women Cameroon, H.E Kunio Okamura, Ambassador of Japan to Cameroon and Marie Thérés Abena Ondoa, Minister of Women’s Empowerment in a tripartite meeting. |Photo credit: Ministry of Women’s Empowerment 

UN Women has sustained its provision on holistic gender-based violence (GBV) response and prevention, economic empowerment, social cohesion and coordination in Cameroon. The provided funds to UN Women Cameroon, will help to fight extremism through adequate support to women and girls affected by the humanitarian crisis in the Far North Region of Cameroon.

On 17 April 2017, H.E Kunio Okamura, the Ambassador of Japan to Cameroon was invited to join a meeting to unveil the supplementary funds and take stock of the implementation of the last Japan funded project. This was an initiative carried out by the Representative of UN Women Cameroon, Ambassador of Japan to Cameroon and the Minister of Women’s Empowerment (MINPROFF). H.E Okamura commended the progress made by UN Women Cameroon in mainstreaming gender in humanitarian actions within the past year. "From the previous year, there has been an increase of funds allocated to UN Women Cameroon, this clearly reflects the recognition that UN Women Cameroon in partnership with MINPROFF has performed well in the previous project in terms of project delivery and communicating the results," the Ambassador articulated.

Adama Moussa, the Representative of UN Women Cameroon explained that the new project would build on the past experiences and mostly the lessons learned. It will also provide further support to MINPROFF not only at a national level but also at regional level, to strengthen its key coordination role in Maroua. 

Appreciating the renewed solidarity to respond to the humanitarian crisis, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family Marie Thérés Abena Ondoa, reiterated the importance of good project implementation in front of her core team. She underscored the technical support provided by UN Women throughout the project. She further expressed her gratitude to the Ambassador for the continued support from the Government of Japan to improve the lives of women and girls affected by the crisis including IDPs and host communities in Cameroon.

Cameroon is the only country in West and Central Africa region where UN Women has received supplementary funds from Japan this year. This is a symbolism to show how good deeds done receive impeccable recognition. 

From L-R: Adama Moussa, Representative of UN Women Cameroon, Marie Thérés Abena Ondoa, Minister of Women’s Empowerment, H.E Kunio OKAMURA, Ambassador of Japan to Cameroon and UN Women members. Photo: Ministry of Women’s Empowerment.