The 2023 German Africa Prize recognizes the work of Cameroonian women at the forefront of the fight for peace and women's rights in their communities. Hailing from three different regions, Sally Mboumien, Esther Omam and Marthe Wandou represent the 1st National Women's Convention for Peace in Cameroon in empowering women facing economic hardship, gender inequality and conflict.
00:00 This is the village of Dibuncha in southwestern Cameroon.
00:05 The people here have come from near and far to get medical consultations and free medicine.
00:11 Clashes between separatists and the army have disrupted life and left communities to fend for themselves.
00:18 This clinic was set up for the day by Esther Omam and her NGO Reach Out Cameroon.
00:24 We know that there has been a complete break in follow-up of medication for people living with HIV and AIDS.
00:33 We know that the community people cannot access health centers easily without being afraid that they will be targeted.
00:40 For more than 20 years, Esther Omam has led efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable people.
00:48 Thanks to her, 1,000 people, mostly women and girls, benefit from free health care every week.
00:55 You see the need for potable water, the need for safe education. These are the issues which they are facing.
01:01 And I suffer those same things.
01:04 Esther Omam stands with the women of Cameroon and amplifies their voices.
01:09 By helping them set up small businesses, she aims to break the cycle of poverty and oppression, one woman at a time.
01:17 It's the start of a new school year in northern Cameroon.
01:22 Lawyer and women's rights activist Marthe Wandou is here to talk to the pupils.
01:27 She has a special eye on the female pupils.
01:30 Not all parents let their girls go to school here in Cameroon's far north.
01:34 My dream is that every girl and every boy has the possibility of going to school up to the level they want to.
01:42 It is not just cultural and religious customs that restrict women in this area.
01:47 The extremist group Boko Haram is also active. Aisha, not her real name, is 21.
01:54 In 2016, Boko Haram captured her entire family, and she was forced to marry one of her captors.
02:02 Women are beaten for no reason and constantly raped.
02:06 Some marry to at least have a minimum of protection. When your husband dies and you're not ready to remarry another man within 24 hours, you're immediately beheaded.
02:17 Aisha escaped Boko Haram with her baby. Thanks to Marthe Wandou, she received psychosocial help and financial support.
02:27 She can now run her own business.
02:29 We sometimes live through very difficult experiences, but it is important that you leave these experiences behind you,
02:39 that you regain hope and courage to take your life back into your own hands, like a person with dignity.
02:46 Like Aisha, many of the women carry a traumatic past. Yet Marthe Wandou is determined to help them build a better future.
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