Dressed in red and carrying placards calling for an end to the killing and abuse of women and girls, AfriYAN Ambassadors recently took to the streets of Bamenda in a peaceful awareness march. Beyond the symbolic mobilization, the action highlights the role communities and young people can play in preventing gender-based violence.
“No to Femicide. No to Killing. Women Deserve to Live, Not to Die.”
These were among the messages displayed on placards as AfriYAN Ambassadors marched through the streets of Bamenda to raise awareness about femicide and gender-based violence against women and girls.
Dressed in red, participants used the peaceful march to draw public attention to a problem that continues to affect women and girls in different communities. The mobilization was also an opportunity to express solidarity with victims and survivors of gender-based violence and to call for greater protection, dignity and safety for women and girls.
For the AfriYAN Ambassadors, the initiative reflects a commitment to move words beyond and take action within communities. The young advocates also used the opportunity to promote gender equality, the prevention of gender-based violence and positive masculinity.
Beyond physical violence
Gender-based violence can take many forms. It may include physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse, harassment and other forms of violence directed at individuals because of their gender.
Femicide represents one of the most extreme consequences of violence against women. Behind every case are not only questions about security and justice, but also the social attitudes and inequalities that can contribute to the persistence of violence.
This is why community mobilization remains important. Violence often occurs behind closed doors, while victims may remain silent because of fear, stigma, economic dependence or concerns about how their families and communities will react.
Bringing the conversation into public spaces, as the AfriYAN Ambassadors did in Bamenda, can therefore help challenge silence and encourage communities to recognize gender-based violence as a collective concern.
The community has a role to play
Preventing violence against women and girls cannot rest on institutions alone. Families, community leaders, schools, young people and men all have a role to play
Awareness campaigns can help people identify abusive behavior, challenge harmful social norms and encourage victims and witnesses to seek help. However, awareness alone is not enough.
Prevention must also be accompanied by effective protection and support mechanisms for survivors. Women and girls experiencing violence may need access to health care, psychological support, social assistance and legal protection.
Communities also have a responsibility to avoid blaming victims and to create environments in which survivors can speak without fear of stigma.
Promoting positive masculinity
One of the messages promoted during the Bamenda mobilization was positive masculinity.
The concept encourages men and boys to reject violence and harmful stereotypes and to build relationships based on respect, equality and non-violence. Their involvement is considered essential in efforts to prevent gender-based violence.
By engaging young people in advocacy activities, initiatives such as this one can also contribute to changing attitudes before violent behaviors become normalized.
Beyond the march
The images of young people dressed in red and marching through Bamenda may be symbolic, but the message behind the mobilization goes further.
The fight against femicide and gender-based violence requires sustained action, including prevention, education, survivor support and accountability for perpetrators.
For the AfriYAN Ambassadors, the march was a public call for communities to take a stand.
But beyond the slogans and placards, the challenge remains the same: transforming awareness into concrete action and ensuring that women and girls can live free from violence.
