Cameroon is among 82 countries that have signed the Safe Schools Declaration - a commitment to keep students, teachers and their schools free from the fear of violence and occupation during armed conflict. Since the start of the crises in 2016, formal education has been interrupted in most parts of the North West and South West Regions in Cameroon. The schools closures are the result of a ban on education imposed by militia groups. This has affected more than 600,000 children, seen at least 74 schools destroyed, and exposed students, teachers and school personnel to violence, abduction and intimidation (as reported by UNICEF June 2019). So far 278 students and 82 teachers have directly been afflicted by kidnapping, maiming and more. We are concerned because when children are out of school, they face a higher risk of recruitment by armed groups and are more likely to be exposed to child marriage, early pregnancy, and the accompanying trauma and long-lasting emotional distress that these experiences bring. The education of our children cannot continue to wait. Any crisis that undermines the importance of education is not human centric. The North West and South West regions will be missing out in the achievement of SDG 4 on education and related commitments. Hence, the resumption of schools for the education our children remains an imperative.

Considering that children are the ones who bear the impact of the school shut down that has been on for the past three years  in the English speaking regions of Cameroon and the non state armed groups are yet to make a statement on schools resumption, we foresee a continuous violation of these children’s right to education and protection. We as mothers, sisters and aunties to these children stand up to say enough of this abuse of children’s rights to education and protection. Women are calling for an engagement from the armed groups to promote and ensure a safe and effective school resumption come September 2019 and forward in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon.

Please help women sign this petition so that the state and the non-state armed groups NSAG should respect the children’s right to education. Women in the North West and South West are suffering psychologically because their children can’t access formal education. South West North West Women’s Task force (SNWOT) says UPLIFT THE BAN ON FORMAL EDUCATION NOW.

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