By IPS Correspondents
YAOUNDE, Feb 12 2004 (IPS)

With a bumper crop of elections due in Africa this year, the extent to which women have a voice in government will be coming under renewed scrutiny. This is especially true of Cameroon, where the campaign to elect a female president during polls in October is gaining momentum.

“It’s time that women mobilized around this goal and catapulted one of us to channel our frustrations. She’s the one we’ll be looking to in the next elections,” says Eugenie Zambo, Vice President of the Campaign for Political Emergence of the Cameroonian Woman (CEPFC), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

From a statistical point of view, this is no pipe dream. Cameroon’s population and census office says 52 percent of the country’s 15.8 million-strong population is composed of women.

“Their voting potential far surpasses that of men,” observes Joseph Mbock, Principal Councilor at the Ministry of Territorial Administration.

“There are more of them than there are of us. And if they get their message through, who will be able to stop them from winning the race for Etoudi (the presidential palace in Yaounde)?”

Cameroon became independent in 1960. Since then, the country has only had two presidents, Ahmadou Ahidjo (1960-1982) and Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982.

The first female cabinet minister was appointed in 1975. Today, there are two women ministers: Catherine Bakang Mbock, Minister for the Status of Women – and Cecile Bomba Nkolo, the Minister of Social Affairs.

“Political parties need to stop marginalising women. In the time remaining until October, we want to push women into action and put a lot of our energy into civic education and citizen mobilization campaigns,” says Claire Eza, a member of the League for the Education of Women and Children (LEFE).

However, not all women are convinced that the time is ripe to put Etoudi in female hands.

“We have to learn how to be realistic – I don’t think it’s possible for one of our sisters to attain the presidency. What’s most important for Cameroonian women is education and fighting poverty,” says Jeanne D’arc Teumo, Honorary President of the Integrated Anti-Poverty Programme, another NGO.

“Look at the differences which exist between these women (activists campaigning for a female candidate). Right now, they’re all so busy making their points that they can’t even get together on a common program. They’re each racing to get donor financing for their seminars. Nothing more,” she adds. But, D’arc Teumo’s criticism does not stop there.

“Furthermore, they’re all jockeying for position so that they alone can be the presidential candidate. In any case, if you really want to know what I’m going to do, I won’t be voting for a woman in October,” she told IPS.

Says Grace Ebelle, a treasury inspector: “A woman in Etoudi? You’re dreaming! Look at their catfighting. It’s ongoing war within the leadership.”

“There is this malevolent clash between women judges and engineers, between those from the upper echelons of government and those from the business world. What do you think that means, these useless quarrels that they can no longer hide?” asks Ebelle.

A publication issued by LEFE and the Women’s Caucus profiles about 20 of these high-flyers, describing them as women “capable of leading and running the country”.

Men, meanwhile, appear to be viewing the campaign fever amongst women with an amused eye.

“It’s a pleasure to see how women want to take destiny into their own hands. But the clashes you see here and there hardly reassure you about the finality of their actions,” says Bernard Momo, Technical Advisor at the Civil Service Ministry.

While the present campaign may not put a woman in the president’s office, he adds, it will open the way for others to play an active role in politics.

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