Round Table with Refugee Women in Cameroon
Impact Hub Yaoundé organized, on March 13, 2026, a round table with refugee women living in Yaoundé. Held ahead of March 8, this activity aimed to provide a safe and supportive space for expression, reflection, and advocacy for women whose voices are too often overlooked.
- Impact Hub Yaounde
- Communication team
The specific objectives of the round table
- Challenge participants to reflect on the true meaning of March 8, beyond symbolic gestures such as wearing traditional fabric (pagne).
- Strengthen refugee women’s knowledge of their rights and responsibilities.
- Raise awareness on justice mechanisms and how refugee women can access them.
- Open dialogue on the importance of involving men in events related to women’s rights.
The round table took place in a warm and participatory atmosphere at the Impact Hub Yaoundé premises in Mimboman. Discussions were organized around four main thematic areas, facilitated in plenary with the active engagement of all women present.
# | Theme | Key Points Discussed |
1 | The pagne and the meaning of March 8 | Open debate on the commercialization of March 8: is wearing traditional fabric (pagne) the most important thing? Participants reaffirmed that this day must primarily celebrate rights, not appearances. |
2 | Knowing your rights and responsibilities | Presentation and discussion on the fundamental rights of refugee women: right to protection, health, education, safety, and the responsibilities that come with them. |
3 | Justice and how to access it | What does justice mean for a refugee woman? How can she access it concretely? Discussion on available mechanisms (UNHCR, legal services, courts) and the real barriers they face. |
4 | Involving men | Reflection on the need to engage men in the fight for women’s rights. Participants emphasized that equality is a shared cause, not solely a women’s issue. |
Experiences of discrimination and stigmatization related to refugee status.
One of the most powerful moments of the round table was the space given to spontaneous testimonies from participants about the violence they have experienced or witnessed. These courageous voices brought to light:
- Physical and psychological violence endured in their countries of origin before fleeing into exile.
- Gender-based violence (GBV) also encountered on Cameroonian soil, sometimes within refugee communities themselves.
- Cases of denial of access to healthcare, documentation, and justice.
key results
- Participants were able to speak freely in a safe and supportive environment.
- A deeper understanding of refugee women’s rights was shared among participants.
- The debate on the meaning of March 8 sparked collective awareness on the need to go beyond symbols.
- The question of male involvement generated strong interest and broad consensus on its importance
