By Solange Tegwi
Women are inherently agents of peace. Including them in peace talks at every level, from prevention and resolution to reconstruction, is not merely beneficial, but a necessity.
This is especially true given that during conflicts, women constitute a vulnerable category that often incurs the heaviest consequences. This was the central message from leading women during an event marking the 25th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, originally adopted on 31 October 2000.
The Cameroon chapter of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) made this powerful proposition at a High-Level National Seminar in Yaoundé. Held at the Djeuga Palace Hotel, the seminar was themed, “Reaffirming the Importance of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda: Overcoming Obstacles, Assuming New Political Ambition and Realising the Commitment to Build a More Just and Peaceful World Together.” It was chaired by the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Professor Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoua.
Addressing the opening ceremony in November, 2025, the National President of AWLN Cameroon, Baba Mballa Françoise, expressed satisfaction with the evolving mindset on women’s roles in conflict. “For the first time,” she stated, “the international community has recognized that women are not only victims of war but essential actors in peace, security, and development.”
The United Nations Secretary-General, represented by the UN Women Resident Representative in Cameroon, Marie Pierre Raky Chaupin, emphasised the critical need to value women’s leadership.
“Their leadership should be valued and uplifted. They should be invested in, protected, and their full participation supported in decision-making, because they are often the first to step in when institutions collapse. Their efforts are undeniable and their impact indelible; they should not, unfortunately, be the last to receive the support they need as peacebuilders,” she remarked.
Professor Rachel-Claire Okani, the La Francophonie Representative in Cameroon, highlighted the disparity in support.
“There are conflicts in society involving both men and women, but often men receive greater support, whereas it is women who suffer the most in times of crisis. Women and children pay the high price for conflicts they never initiated.”
She implored for concrete action: “They should therefore be trained in security and peace issues. Finances should be allocated to sponsor their projects; they should not suffer from unpredictable or limited funding. Their training and empowerment will significantly ease the general burden of peacebuilding. That a woman does a man’s job does not make her a man.”
Minister Professor Abena Ondoua called for the systematic integration of women into all peace processes. “Women should be actively and constructively involved at negotiation tables at all levels, encouraged to contribute to discussions, and to make concrete proposals that lead to the consolidation of peace throughout the national territory.”
She noted that approximately 3,000 women have already been trained across Cameroon’s 10 regions, underscoring that promoting women in peace initiatives, sensitization on conflict-related sexual violence, and community mobilization for conflict prevention are indispensable.
The seminar brought together a diverse assembly from civil society organizations, government institutions, non-governmental organizations, and international agencies, with women from all walks of life and geographical regions congregating for what was described as an eye-opening and insightful event.
