Enduring, purebred, and perfectionist: the women of Cameroon!
on Mischa in Cameroon (Cameroon), 10/Mar/2010 08:46, 34 days ago
International Women’s Day on the 8thMarch is a very big deal in Cameroon, although several men mentioned to me that they thought it was ridiculous women should have a whole day to celebrate themselves: surely they should be content with an hour or two. A friend in the next village tried to speak to the Chieftain’s son to get him to help her convince men to let their wives attend the festivities at Maga. The chieftain’s son told her that a good woman leaves the home twice: once to get married and once to be buried. It’s celebrated in Maga by a build up of music and dance events, discussions on women’s rights and opportunities, football matches (often barefoot, which isverypainful), and an organised women’s trip to Nigeria. Going to Nigeria is like a duty free shopping trip for Cameroonian women, as everything is slightly cheaper there (the road links between South and North Cameroon are so bad that everything comes here via Nigeria). I felt very adventurous after my nine hour round trip in the bus until the next day when outside one of my schools I met a man on a camel which he’d bought in Chad and was riding across Cameroon to sell in Nigeria, armed with a huge bow and arrows and a lot of knives.It then culminates in a march in front of the town dignitaries where everyone is encouraged to wear outfits in the truly hideous official fabric (see me and my national volunteer on the left). The fabric shows Cameroonian women in a variety of successful careers and is covered in inspiring slogans ranging from ‘Preserver of nature and life’ to the inexplicable ‘Being the cornerstone of all synergies’ and, my personal favourite, ‘Enduring, purebred, perfectionist’!I personally find the Cameroonian desire to march up and down in 45 degree heat at every festivalverystrange (the Cameroonians find it equally strange that we don’t celebrate like this in England!), but I was also very proud when my mothers’ groups came to march, even though they couldn’t all afford the official fabric. Women’s day in Maga has been largely only been celebrated by wealthier women in the past, and a lot of poorer women don’t dare participate, but the women from the mothers’ groups won everyone over by marching and dancing with more enthusiasm than anyone else.