UNICEF Launches Movement in Buea to Empower Future Female Leaders

A new initiative championing the rights and leadership of adolescent girls is launching in Buea, South West Region of Cameroon, with focus on addressing issues like early marriage, which UNICEF says is alarming in West and Central Africa.

Dubbed the “Girls’ Vision for the Future Movement,” the campaign is led by UNICEF Cameroon in partnership with the Ministry of Women Empowerment and the Family and other national actors.

The movement will officially kick off in Buea from June 19–20, 2025, as part of a regional strategy to amplify girls’ voices and position them as changemakers in their communities.

“This movement aims to amplify the voices of adolescent girls, promote their rights, and strengthen their role as changemakers in their communities,” said Azuka Menkiti, Officer-in-Charge of UNICEF’s Buea Field Office.

Two Days of Advocacy and Action

The launch event begins on Thursday, June 19 with a courtesy visit to the Governor of the South West Region, where selected girls will present the Girls’ Charter—a declaration of their rights, challenges, and hopes.

The official launch takes place on Friday, June 20, at the Women Empowerment and Family Centre in Buea. More than 150 adolescent girls, civil society actors, and government officials are expected to participate in the day’s dialogue, celebration, and advocacy.

Why This Movement Matters

UNICEF highlights that alarming statistics on the plight of girls in West and Central Africa, including Cameroon, inform the initiative.

The organisation reported that 40 percent of girls in West and Central Africa marry before age 18, and 30 percent of girls aged 10–24 leave school because of early marriage, family pressure, or poverty.

Over 35 million adolescent girls in the region are in need of urgent support to unlock their full potential, the organisation said.

The Girls’ Movement aims to combat these issues by co-developing a National Agenda for Girls’ Rights, crafted with and for girls, addressing topics like child marriage, gender-based violence, lack of education, and limited access to health and economic opportunities.

In Buea, UNICEF is establishing a multi-stakeholder Task Force, including adolescent girls from diverse backgrounds, to co-lead the initiative. Members include: in-school and out-of-school girls; internally displaced girls and those with disabilities; teenage mothers; minority groups such as the Mbororo community; representatives from government and youth organizations

“Their active participation ensures strong ownership, inclusive representation, and relevance to the realities faced by girls across the region,” UNICEF stated.

UNICEF further says they are envisaging a Cameroon and South West Region where every girl is safe, educated, healthy, and heard and where she has the opportunity to thrive and lead.

This launch paves the way for a National Girls’ Rights Summit in Cameroon and a Regional Summit in Senegal in October 2025, where participants will showcase national progress and make long-term commitments.