#DEFYHATENOW PRESENTS

#Women4Peace

How does gender equality today build a peaceful and sustainable tomorrow? We asked African feminists and peacebuilders about what needs to change in order to bring about peace, the role of women in peacebuilding, and their own advocacy work.

Read their answers

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ADVOCATE

Nyima Jadama

What motivates individuals to champion the inclusion of women?

For Nyima Jadama, a passionate women’s rights advocate based in Germany, her driving factor is the vision of a world where every woman, regardless of her background, is celebrated for her unique contributions and where equal opportunities are a reality.

PEACE AND CONFLICTS TRANSFORMATION TRAINER

Mali Martha Noel

My name is Mali Martha Noel based in the North West region of Cameroon. I am a Peace and Conflicts transformation trainer, girls rights advocate and graphic designer. My years of service in the NGO space comes from a place of passion to create change and impact my community. Being a graphic designer was inspired by the  need to make ends meet even though it  is a field that is dominantly considered to be for men would give to young girls.

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT AND COMMUNICATIONS TRAINER

Lawong Kendra Yaah

My name is Lawong Kendra Yaah, a PHD holder based in the North West region of Cameroon. In my vision of a more inclusive future for women, Firstly, I believe that all women should  have access to equal opportunities in education, employment, and political participation

MEDICAL STUDENT AND PUBLIC SPEAKER

Ahadu Andualem

What happens when your childhood dream is to enter the medical field, but you also aspire to be a future leader and public speaker? If you’re Ahadu Andualem, you pursue both dreams simultaneously by attending medical school and obtaining a degree in management!

FINANCE COORDINATOR FOR #defyhatenow CAMEROON

Njodzeka Therese

I am Njodzeka Therese, Finance coordinator for #defyhatenow Cameroon, my first reason for choosing this finance  field is career acceleration and significant growth opportunities. There is no structure that functions without a finance department be it profit or non profit.

PROJECT COORDINATOR FOR AN NGO

Ahlam Bogale

“Everyone deserves equal opportunities to pursue their passions and achieve their goals, regardless of gender or background. Witnessing women face challenges in certain careers fuels my commitment to promoting inclusivity.”

This is Ahlam’s response when asked about her passion for promoting women’s inclusion in non-traditional careers in her community.

BACKPACK JOURNALIST

Chansiline Nanze

Chansiline Nanze is a Cameroonian backpack journalist living with a mobility impairment. I touch a bit of everything that concerns journalists but my strength lies in sports and health reporting. I am also a fact checker, a photographer, a graphic designer and an event host.

“Graphic designing is another form of communication and oftentimes it goes with journalism. I love journalism, it is my passion and will not pass by anything that will help me exercise the profession better”

BROADCASTER AND SPORTS BLOGGER

Badal Fohmoh

Je suis Badal Fohmoh, communicatrice de formation et blogueuse spécialisée dans le sport. Pourquoi principalement le sport ? Tout simplement parce que  j’ai manqué ma carrière de footballeuse professionnelle (rires). Plus sérieusement, j’ai choisi ce domaine parce que je suis une passionnée de sport et particulièrement du football. Et je crois fermement qu’avec son point de vue unique, sa volonté et sa capacité à communiquer, la femme peut apporter de nouvelles perspectives enrichissantes dans ce secteur.

FREELANCE JOURNALIST AND MEMBER OF THE CAMEROON ASSOCIATION OF ENGLISH SPEAKING JOURNALISTS (CAMASEJ)

Ajumane Francis

I have worked a lot with young female journalists over the years and the challenge is most often convincing them to overcome their fears and dare on territories which they consider are exclusively for me. However, it is always a matter of time and when these young girls grow into their strides, they gain in experience and start to embrace challenges that come their way

AFRICAN FEMINISM WEB PLATFORM

Rosebell Kagumire

We recently talked to Rosebell Kagumire about women’s rights and peacebuilding. Rosebell is a powerful Pan-African feminist voice, as well as curator and editor of the African Feminism web platform. She is also a member of the r0g_agency’s strategic advisory board.

“We need systems that serve the people”

HOPE ADVOCATE AFRICA

Caryn Dasah

“Don’t let anyone intimidate you” – Caryn Dasah is the founder of Hope Advocate Africa, an organization that provides legal, social, and psycho-social services for women and young girls. We talked with her about her work and asked her what advice she would give to young girls.

SPOKEN WORD POET AND ATHLETE

Tata Diko

“Leadership is a crucial space women should occupy in all peacebuilding initiatives,” says Tata Diko Duku, a spoken word poet and athlete. The South Sudanese feminist activist uses her poetry as an advocacy tool to criticize injustices and uphold humanity. We a sked her questions about women’s rights and peacebuilding.

read article

“Peace is personal”

PEACE JOURNALIST

Rose Obah

We talked to Rose Obah, a peace journalist and trainer in conflict transformation. She has worked with various communities ensuring their voices are heard. She is passionate about peacebuilding and community development.

“The iroko of peacebuilding in her community.”

TEACHER AND A HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

Hauwa Abdullahi

Hauwa Abdullahi is a teacher by profession and a human rights activist who keeps fighting all the odds in her Muslim community to protect the rights and dignity of women. She is the founder of Better Life Association for the Underprivileged (BLAFTU), an organisation that protects, empowers women and fights against Gender-Based Violence.

Standing for the Rights of Muslim Women.

FOUNDER OF THE AFRICAN INDUSTRIOUS LADIES IN CAMEROON

Martha Lingong

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we asked Martha Lingong, founder of the African Industrious Ladies in Cameroon, to tell us their thoughts on women’s rights and peace building. Here is what she had to say: Women should occupy any space that is “occupiable.”
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS RESEARCHER, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, AND HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATE

Meaza Gidey Gebremedhin

“[When] women are meaningfully engaged in peacebuilding processes, we have seeing their respective communities enjoying a more significant long-term political stability, with a relative lower likelihood of such communities slipping back into conflict.”

Meaza Gidey Gebremedhin is a feminist from Tigray advocating for the human rights of women and girls who are enduring unspeakable suffering and weaponized conflict-related sexual violence in the war-torn region of northern Ethiopia. Read here to learn more about Meaza Gebremedhin’s take on the significance of women’s participation in peacebuilding and actions that need to be taken to promote women’s rights.

“Women are essential to preventing conflicts and sustaining peace”

GENDER ACTIVIST AND PHD STUDENT

Georgette Che

We asked Georgette Che, a gender activist and PhD student at the University of Dschang, to talk about the role of women in peacebuilding and what has to change.

“For peacebuilding, we need dialogue and cohesion”

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR WOMEN PEACE INITIATIVES – UGANDA (WOPI-U)

Rashida Adong Oketcha

Rashida Adong Oketcha is the Executive Director for Women Peace Initiatives – Uganda (WOPI-U), a feminist grassroots women’s organization. She shared with us what she believes needs to happen to involve women and girls in peacebuilding and promote gender justice.

“Encourage active participation and meaningful inclusion of women”

MENTOR & COMMUNITY TRAINER

Aunty Gla

We had a talk with Yaah Gladys Shang Viban – fondly known as Aunty Gla, during International Women’s day and below is our conversation; Empowering young girls to women who change their communities.
MEDIA CONSULTANT

Carole Leuwe

We had a chat with Carole Leuwe about her work and the role of women in peacebuilding.

“Fostering Women’s Participation in Peacebuilding”