Cameroon-Nakinti – Global Pearls

COUNTRY: CAMEROON
PROJECT: RESCUE WOMEN CAMEROON
DIRECTOR: NAKINTI NOFURU

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Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is rampant in Cameroon, particularly in rural areas, and conflict in the northern and western regions is causing it to escalate. Women and young girls are raped frequently and with impunity. Breast ironing is commonplace to “protect” girls against rape. Domestic abuse is ubiquitous and often severe. Female Genital Mutilation is still practiced in northern Cameroon and child marriage, despite changes in the law, is still common. Even after death, the corpses of women are often treated with cruelty.

One person alone cannot change a culture of GBV, but a thousand people can! Nakinti Nofuru, founder of Rescue Women Cameroon (REWOCAM), wants to grow a large, cooperative movement addressing GBV, using blogging, conferences, and pilot projects to achieve that goal. The conferences she organizes include representatives from many regions of Cameroon, and participants share personal experiences and brainstorm solutions. Victims of GBV have a chance to find their voice and learn the power of their story, and, in the process, they experience healing. They also return to their home districts with concrete actions they can take to promote change in their communities, and the connections they make at the conferences encourage and sustain them in years ahead.

Nakinti and her team have focused in particular on child rape. She combines Child Rape Prevention Camps, Girls-Against-Rape Clubs in schools, Mothers in the Fight Against Rape Workshops, widespread use of media (social media, radio, tv, newspapers) to spread the message, and special conferences designed to raise up and mentor others in the fight against child rape. The most promising solutions generated by the women in these conferences are selected to receive small grants. As the women implement their ideas, Rescue Women monitors these projects to evaluate their effectiveness. Key learnings are incorporated into presentations at future conferences and on social media.

Nakinti has a master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies and worked as a journalist with Global Press Journal researching and writing on GBV topics. She is currently the Divisional Delegate of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment. She also is a World Pulse Ambassador, and this extends her a voice across the globe. Her dream is to eliminate discrimination against women, especially in Africa. She is a creative and energetic leader that will indeed effect change in her country!

Recognition for Nakiti’s work includes:
* 2023: Selected as a speaker at the TMI Project performance
* 2021: Chosen as a Featured Grantee – July 2021
* 2019: Chosen by the U.S. Embassy to organize and run a conference for young women from across Cameroon to strengthen their leadership capacities.
* 2018: Chosen by the U.S. Embassy to represent Cameroon at a “Women in Leadership” conference held in the United States.
* 2017: Received the “Women Have Wings” award, given to women “of extraordinary courage and action.”
* 2016 & 2017: Chosen as a World Pulse Impact Leader in recognition of the impact she has had improving the lives of women.

Together Women Rise has chosen Global Pearls as their July 2021 Featured Grantee! Nakinti’s work against child rape is the focus of the grant. Resurrecting traditional sports to create a fun and safe environment to learn about this difficult topic, supporting girls-against-rape clubs at local schools, using tv and radio to spread the message to the broader community, and training other advocates and encouraging their ideas are all part of this exciting project. Together we will take a stand against child rape in Cameroon. Read more.