The German Development Cooperation (GIZ) organised activities to promote gender equity in Cameroon last week.

In a project dubbed 'Femme et Filles Fortes' which means (Courageous Women and Girls), the organisation says it intends to sensitise the population and policy-makers on the need to promote the equality of rights between girls and boys or men and women.

The 8th edition of the event was launched recently with special activities all geared to address gender balance.

Promoting gender mainstreaming in the development of national public policies in the Central African sub-region in general and Cameroon in particular, the authorities said it was imperative for development undertaking.

The head of the regional office of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) in Yaounde, Ulrike Maenner, said the 8th edition of Femmes et Filles Fortes (FFF) is part of the activities marking the celebration of International Women’s Day, thus the right period to drive the massage of gender equality across.

The audience was treated to presentations focusing on gender in development policies, sub-regional development policies and gender activities of the German cooperation.

This year, the International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8, marked 20 years since the historic World Conference on Women in Beijing underlined gender equality as a global priority.

According to the United Nations, solid evidence links the advancement of women’s and girls’ empowerment to the health, education, productivity and welfare of future generations. Yet, around the world, gender equality remains elusive.

“No country in the world has achieved gender equality, and discrimination in the law persists in many countries,” said UNFPA Executive Director, Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, in his statement marking International Women’s Day.

Although women comprise roughly half the population, they own only one per cent of the world’s wealth, according to the United Nation statistics.

Poverty exacerbates the suffering of women and girls. One in three girls in developing countries are married before reaching age 18, and one in nine are married before age 15, statistics revealed.