Cameroon: bill pushes for gender mainstreaming in development policies

The Federation of Organizations of the Cameroon Civil Society (FOSCAM, for its initials in french), Social Watch´s Focal Point in Cameroon, participated in the elaboration of a draft bill for mainstreaming gender into national policies for growth and employment in that country.

FOSCAM presented the draft bill at the opening of a multi-stakeholder Forum held on 20 March, 2010, in Mvolyé. The event that aimed to promote gender mainstreaming in development strategies gathered government representatives, international institutions, the private sector and civil society.

The bill seeks to systematize the integration of a gender perspective into all government levels and policies for growth and employment through a binding legal framework to organize implementation and monitoring.  

Some of the proposals to achieve this objective are:

1. Give a clear definition of the principle of gender mainstreaming in policies and strategies for growth and employment

2. Develop a down-to-earth mechanism to promote gender mainstreaming, especially through quotas by gender, age and disability.

3. Create a monitoring system that allows the correct implementation of the strategy of growth and employment.