07/08/2026
Today, we continued our work under the Her Peace, Our Peace Project, in partnership with Community Centre for Integrated Development with support from the German Federal Government.
This time, the peace hut was filled entirely with adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and what followed was an honest and interactive conversation.
We talked about Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
What it is.
What it can look like.
How it affects girls and women.
How to recognize it.
And, importantly, what to do and where to seek help.
The questions kept coming.
And then came the realization:
So many young women had experienced or witnessed situations that could constitute GBV, but didn’t know that what they were experiencing had a name.
Some had never heard the term Gender-Based Violence before.
Some didn’t know that violence isn’t only physical.
Some didn’t know that emotional and psychological abuse, sexual violence, economic abuse and other harmful practices can also be forms of GBV.
And many simply didn’t know where to turn for help.
That is why awareness matters.
Because you cannot seek support for something you don’t recognize.
You cannot challenge what you have been taught to normalize.
And you cannot always know that you deserve help if nobody has ever told you.
We created space for questions.
Questions about relationships.
Questions about safety.
Questions about consent and boundaries.
Questions about seeking help.
Questions about what happens after reporting.
Questions about the services available to survivors.
And perhaps one of the most encouraging parts was seeing how eager the women were to learn, ask, understand and leave with knowledge they could carry with them beyond the room.
They learned about available support, including psychosocial support, health services, legal assistance, protection and referral services.
Because sometimes, a single piece of information can change how someone understands their experience and can be the first step toward seeking support.
Knowledge is protection.
Knowing where to seek help matters.
Today was another reminder that creating safer communities requires us to keep having these conversations especially with young women and girls.
We Listen, We don’t Judge
Because….
Her peace. Our peace.
UNFPA Cameroon MenEngage Alliance Cameroon UN Women AmplifyChange Sonke Gender Justice Sustainable Women Organization-SWO Rural and Urban Grassroots Business Women Association - Rugbwa