Brief 11 : making municipal councils friendly to women councillors in Cameroon

The equal and full participation of women and men in decision-making is vital for the attainment of good governance and sustainable development in Cameroon, as well as other sub-Saharan African countries. In Cameroon, gender sensitive decision-making is particularly important in local governance for a variety of reasons. Over fifty per cent of the total population and close to fifty three per cent of the female population reside in rural areas that are governed by municipal councils. Rural areas are characterised by highly unequal power relations between men and women, which are reinforced by the local relevance of traditional and cultural beliefs, norms and values, that shape women’s roles and position in the Cameroonian society. This briefing draws attention to some salient issues concerning the representation and active participation of women and men in the decision-making processes of municipal councils. In terms of representation, no council has attained the thirty per cent women representatives necessary to ensure equity in democratic decision-making and policy formation. For the few women who have been elected into municipal councils, participation in council decisions is highly constrained by factors such as unequal power relations between male and female councillors, patriarchal and traditional stereotypes of women’s leadership roles and the numerical superiority of male over female councillors. This policy brief considers the challenges faced by women councillors in municipal councils and the implications on women’s ability to influence council projects. It further recommends that affirmative action strategies to enhance both the quantity and quality of women’s participation is necessary for a more inclusive, efficient and effective local governance in Cameroon