On the occasion of the launch of the 15th edition of the International Day of the Girl, the Minister for the Promotion of Women and the Family, ABENA ONDOA née OBAMA Marie Thérèse, set the tone for an implacable national mobilization to rescue young Cameroonian girls from the prisons of early marriages and give them back their future through education.
“No girl should wear a wedding ring before she has carried a schoolbag.” Child marriage is not a tradition. It is a gilded cage that steals a little girl’s childhood, her education, her health, and her future. It is a silent violence that Cameroon now refuses to ignore. This conviction was loudly and clearly expressed by the Minister for the Promotion of Women and the Family, ABENA ONDOA née OBAMA Marie Thérèse, at the launch of the 15th International Day of the Girl Child on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Conviviality Hall of the National Museum.
Celebrated on October 11, 2026, this edition bears a theme that challenges the national conscience: « End child marriage, invest in girls’ rights. » This theme is not merely a slogan. It is a call for collective responsibility, an invitation to protect every girl, guarantee her education, support her empowerment, and safeguard her future.
In his address, the Minister emphasized that Cameroonian girls are first and foremost full citizens. The Constitution of January 18, 1996, affirms that all men and women are equal in rights and responsibilities. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Cameroon has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. These texts are not dusty relics. They are guiding principles.
Yet, reality persists. Illiteracy among young girls, early marriages, unwanted pregnancies, the glass ceiling, and entrenched prejudices continue to hinder the empowerment of Cameroonian women. « Ignorance is a danger to oneself and others, » as a popular saying goes. Investing in girls is therefore investing in the entire nation.
The 2026 campaign aims to highlight these issues and reiterate that every girl has the right to education, protection, and empowerment. It will be implemented through awareness-raising activities, community engagement, advocacy, and field actions.
The Minister calls upon all sectors of the nation—public administrations, civil society organizations, traditional and religious leaders, the media, families, and young people—to embrace this cause and make the protection of girls a national priority. “Wouldn’t Cameroon benefit from seeing its daughters shine on the world stage?” she asks. From Françoise Mbango, gold medalist at the 2004 Olympic Games, to the leading women who govern internationally today, the proof is clear: talent knows no gender.
