Cécile Ndjebet , WOCAN Core Associate,Founder and President of African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF), Cameroon
Being a WOCAN member is a privilege and being in a network provides opportunity to share and influence policies. WOCAN’s network provides a great opportunity to work on women’s rights issues. I will be WOCAN member for life because WOCAN’s vision is aligned with my belief and we need to work together to achieve the vision.
WOCAN has achieved a lot in the last 10 years. In many African countries we know about WOCAN and its work. Of course we still have lots of challenges taking advantage of all the resources that are produced by WOCAN because of our poor communication system which we will continue to work on. But we know WOCAN’s resources are available and we have WOCAN’s support. We are trying to get more root and more activities with rural women. Our organization is implementing the Women Leadership Circles in Agriculture and NRM (WLCAN) trying to bring rural women and professional women to discuss various issues such as women in REDD+,NRM, agriculture production and poverty reduction. This has only been possible because WOCAN pushes for these initiatives and gives resources to sustain it. WOCAN should continue its work on women’s leadership and empowerment and try to get different type of influence not only from professional women but also from rural women.
Just having people know that organization such as WOCAN which focuses on women’s issues in NRM and Agriculture exists is a great achievement. This is just the beginning and hopes it continues and grows in that area.