The WCPDM Section President for Donga Mantung V in Nwa is waging against the worrisome practice of sending off teenage girls for marriage rather than enrolling them in school.
During a meeting organized in Mbem and Nwa, Martha Jikwen decried the growing phenomenon, cautioning parents to desist from the act. She said the girls were not ripe for marriage, stressing the need for the teenagers to be given a chance through education. The practice has been blamed on the effects of the crisis in the subdivision, which has led parents to choose the education of boys over girls, while sending off the latter into undesired marriages. As remarked by the WCPDM president, “we must discourage such practices that put the girl at risk and compromise her chances to a successful future completely”. According to her, the meeting she organized was triggered by the noticeable growth in the number of under aged married girls in Nwa. “a canker warm that is gradually eating in to the fabric of our sub division. If not dealt with now, the values of the girl child will be given away completely”, she emphasised.
The aching problem of prostitution among young girls due to the crisis is bad enough already, however a more complex situation is showing it’ s ugly head under the guise of marriages where children are pushed most f the time against their will into marriages with the complicity of parents who think that by so doing these little girls will free them from their responsibilities”.
The WCPDM has started a campaign to re-educate parents and the children especially the girls on the need to preserve their families and give every child the opportunity to get education.
Nwa subdivision is situated on the Cameroon –Nigeria boarder According to Martha Jikwen, “Children in our subdivision are very vulnerable given our geographical location” she emphasized. She also cautioned parents to be uncompromising and to ensure that no matter how tough things get, their children should not be sacrificed. The girl child should not be disadvantaged.
The meeting of Mbem and Nwa was the first and the WCPDM president plans to take this message to all the subsections. She took advantage of the Mbem and Nwa meeting to visit some sick persons and offer them support as well as a few gifts to some families to support their girls go to school. In her words, “Had the national president of the CPDM Paul Biya not open our eyes to the need to give very one the opportunity to be educated Cameroon would not be counting the thousands of women in top positions in the country”, she lamented. Women continue to be the back bone of the society and the education of the girl child must be a priority.
Irene Aweneg, with Field reports
