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Baseline survey of the status of Women’s Cohesion Spaces in the Minawao Refugee Camp and the Ngam and Timangolo Sites

Countries
Cameroon
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Sources
Govt. Cameroon
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Publication date

FOREWORD

As a result of the collaboration between UN Women and MSB, this stocks-taking report represents the substantial part of the Women’s Cohesion Space. The data collected, the findings of the analyses as well as the conclusions and recommendations will be used to define the package of services to be carried out in the Cohesion Spaces of Women.

This report is therefore a practical guide to better understand the reality of refugee women and men and to answer the question «Why a Women’s Cohesion Space?».

The answer to this question is provided at the level of each chapter and each paragraph. It is the space needed to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls through a holistic service package. It is also the space to promote peaceful coexistence between host communities and refugees. The Women’s Cohesion Space is the UN Women’s label to make the nexus between humanitarian and development.

The participatory and iterative approach used throughout the study’s development process resulted in conclusions and recommendations for the definition of a package of practical activities to be carried out at the level of each space according to the socio-cultural reality of refugees and host communities.
Each structure of the space will thus have an operational content as well as management tools.
In view of the richness of the quantitative and qualitative information contained in this report, I would like to invite all the humanitarian actors to read it with great interest to draw all the necessary lessons to ensure a holistic assistance for the survivors of gender-based violence.

The staff of UN Women, who participated in all stages of its development and made a significant contribution to it, will certainly make good use of it. This report is also your contribution to the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls in situations of conflict.

On behalf of each survivor, beneficiary of the Women’s Cohesion Spaces, I would like to express the recognition of the entire UN Women team at MSB for the quality of the partnership.

Adama Moussa, Resident Representative, UN Women Cameroon

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This baseline study, entitled «Baseline survey of the status of Women’s Cohesion Spaces in the Minawao Refugee Camp and the Ngam and Timangolo Sites», forms part of the implementation of the «Support to UN Women’s Cohesion Spaces» project between MSB and UN Women Cameroon. The humanitarian crisis facing Cameroon has affected both Cameroonian and refugee populations. And women and children are the most affected by human rights violations, including gender-based violence.

Faced with this situation, UN Women Cameroon is implementing its strategy, which relies, in particular, on the Women’s Cohesion Spaces in the Camps and Refugee Sites.

This survey was carried out with a view to drawing up an inventory of the Women’s Cohesion Spaces set up by UN Women in Cameroon, with a view to improving the quality of UN Women’s response to humanitarian assistance and early recovery in the holistic care of survivors of gender-based violence. It also aims to provide the knowledge and tools necessary for the effective operationalization of Women’s Cohesion Spaces in accordance with their respective roles.

After reviewing the general framework, conceptual notions and the status of Women’s Cohesion Spaces in the Minawao Refugee Camp and the Ngam and Timangolo Sites, a large number of recommendations were made in the sole objective of ensuring that Women’s Cohesion Spaces fully play their role.

In order to improve the operationality of the Women’s Cohesion Spaces not only in the Minawao Refugee Camp and the Ngam and Timangolo Sites but also in other Camps and Refugee Sites in Cameroon, the report concludes with detailed recommendations.