{"id":1105,"date":"2017-11-13T11:12:34","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T11:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/websource.co\/qayn\/?page_id=1105"},"modified":"2017-12-14T04:43:31","modified_gmt":"2017-12-14T04:43:31","slug":"cameroon-hfc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/qayn.org\/en\/members-partners\/cameroon-hfc\/","title":{"rendered":"HFC CAMEROUN <\/br> A GENDER-CENTERED APPROACH"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern” padding_top=”50″ padding_bottom=”50″ el_class=”single_member_wrapper”][vc_column][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”15″][vc_column_text]Humanity First Cameroon (HFC) is a Cameroonian organization that works against HIV\/AIDS and for the promotion and protection of sexual minorities\u2019 rights. Founded in 2010 in Yaound\u00e9 (Cameroon) by a group of gay men, the organization quickly integrated gender issues to the agenda with the arrival and involvement of lesbians, bisexuals and trans* people.<\/p>\n

The \u201cGender and Female Leadership\u201d division was thus created to enable the integration of all sexual identities: women who have sex with women (WSW), lesbians, bisexual, trans*, intersex and queer people (LBTIQ). At HFC, we recognize every single one of these identities and take their specific issues into consideration in our training programs.<\/p>\n

The Cameroonian context, with article 347-1, criminalizes non-heteronormative sexual orientations and identities. At the social level, the consequence of this is a climate of persecutions that affects the lives of Cameroonian LGBTIQWSW. To overcome this, we have developed various resistance strategies, the first one being to organize ourselves on the basis of our identities. We therefore decided to join QAYN, the first queer feminist network in Francophone West Africa, in order to benefit from their expertise and achieve more visibility. QAYN is the first financial partner of the Gender and Female Leadership division of Humanity First Cameroon.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

OUR MAIN PRIORITIES<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”15″][vc_column_text]The need for trans* and female leadership<\/strong>. In a context mainly dominated by gays, the Gender and Female Leadership division has established itself as a pioneer<\/strong> in Cameroon in terms of a liberation movement lead by queer and trans* women who refuse to get stuck in the victimizing environment created by other LBTQWSW groups in the country. To promote a positive image of queer and trans* identities, we rely on documenting political actions by LBTQWSW activists, conducting social research on the wellbeing and sexual health of members of our community, reporting fundamental rights violations and advocating towards women\u2019s rights organizations.<\/p>\n

We have also developed a training program in response to homophobic harassment as well as the denial and self-deprecation resulting from internalized homophobia. This program, taking into account notions of sexual orientations, identities and gender expressions, is geared towards our members and allies in order to enable a better understanding of our identities and increase self-esteem. We want to change the negative image associated with African LBTQWSW by orientating our policies towards a feminist leadership that translates into a tangible expertise of the field.<\/p>\n

Create diversity within the Cameroonian LGBTIQ movement<\/strong>. HFC is different from other organizations in the sense that our Gender and Female Leadership division places a particular emphasis on fighting against the discrimination that female and trans* identities usually face within LGBTIQ organizations. Through consistent dialogue with our gay counterparts, we were able to foster respect for diversity and create true gender diversity within HFC. Thus, we are the first and only mixed organization in Yaound\u00e9 to have tried and succeeded in the gamble of gender diversity.<\/p>\n

With the approach we take towards gender, LBTQ women are taken into consideration, not as separate entities, but as equal members, and our competences are utilized in key positions within the organization: Psychologist-consultant, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, Sport Instructor, peer-educators and observers of human rights violations, among other roles. We strive for gender parity in key positions within the organization in order to benefit from more visibility within the global LGBTIQ movement.<\/p>\n

Reduce ignorance within civil society<\/strong>. We have a very important role: to make our society understand who we are and make them respect diversity in order to change mentalities. In this regard, we organize training workshops to make civil society actors understand concepts of gender, identity and sexual diversity. These workshops usually gather health staff, the media, legal experts and law enforcement officials.<\/p>\n

Enable the inclusion of LBTIQWSW in women-oriented programs<\/strong>. The ignorance and intolerance that LGBTIQWSW face in our country systematically reflect in the degree to which they are included in social programs targeting women. To address this issue, HFC, through its Gender and Female Leadership division, has initiated dialogues with different women organizations from civil society in order to: 1) foster understanding of queer and trans* identities; 2) increase their inclusion within civil society organizations and 3) encourage the acknowledgement of gender-based violence as relevant to the fight against the violence affecting all women.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

IMPORTANT POINTS<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”15″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Our Vision<\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”10″][vc_column_text]A just society where LBTIQWSW are acknowledged and included in policies developed for Cameroonian women.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Our Mission<\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”10″][vc_column_text]To bring Cameroonian LBTIQWSW people together in order to create a proud and dynamic community, free of discrimination.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Our Current Objective<\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”10″][vc_column_text]To mobilize LBTIQWSW of Yaound\u00e9 towards a female and trans* leadership in order to enforce our rights, promote gender equality as well as the health and financial independence of the most indigent.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\"\"Our Activities<\/h4>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator type=”transparent” down=”10″][vc_column_text]We carry out various activities:<\/p>\n