Advocacy, Research & Policy
Programmes change lives one community at a time. Policy changes the conditions everywhere at once. We document what we see, publish it, and take it to the people who set the rules.
2+
Research or advocacy reports to be published by year three (target)
3+
Government, health or civil society partnerships: year-one target
7
UN Sustainable Development Goals our evidence speaks to
The challenge
Evidence is what turns experience into policy
The structural inequalities affecting Cameroonian women and girls are well known to the communities living with them and poorly documented everywhere else. Without evidence, community experience stays anecdotal, and anecdote does not move ministries, donors or law.
This pillar exists to close that gap. Every other programme we run generates data — needs assessments, case records, school retention figures, savings group performance. Collected properly and published responsibly, that becomes the basis for arguing that something should change.
The care this work requires
- Survivor data is never published in any form that could identify an individual.
- Prevalence and service data are reported as distinct measures, because conflating them produces false conclusions.
- Communities see findings about themselves before external audiences do.
- Claims are attributed to their sources, and the limits of our own data are stated.
- Participation in research is voluntary, informed and revocable.
What we do
Documenting, publishing and convening — the three ways community experience reaches decision-makers.
01
Documentation of GBV, education and livelihood challenges
Systematic recording of what our programmes encounter, so that patterns rather than incidents become visible.
02
Participatory community needs assessments
Assessments conducted with communities, which set our programme priorities and form the evidence base for advocacy.
03
Policy briefs and position papers
Short, evidenced documents written for the people who make decisions, rather than for other researchers.
04
Community dialogues and town halls
Public forums where communities, traditional authorities and local officials discuss findings and agree what should follow.
05
Media and social media advocacy
Using the founder's substantial public platform to move issues from community-level concern to national conversation.
06
Engagement with ministries and agencies
Direct engagement with MINPROFF, MINAS, the Ministry of the Environment, UN agencies and civil society coalitions.
07
South-South learning exchange
Exchanges with women-led associations across Africa, so that what works elsewhere reaches Cameroon and vice versa.
Who we serve
Who this programme reaches
Advocacy serves the communities whose experience it carries, by addressing the audiences able to change their conditions.
- Communities whose experience is documented and represented
- Policy makers and government ministries
- UN agencies and international NGOs
- Donors and foundations assessing where to fund
- Civil society organisations and coalitions
- Journalists and the general public
- Researchers working on gender and development in Cameroon
How we work
Research involving survivors of violence carries real risk of harm if done carelessly. Our commitments here are binding on staff, volunteers and any partner we publish with.
- Do No Harm
- IASC Guidelines on Gender-Based Violence
- Core Humanitarian Standard
- Informed and revocable consent
- Data disaggregated by sex, age, disability and location
- Community Accountability and Reporting Mechanism
- PSEA
What we are working towards
Targets drawn from our organisational framework, with the horizon against which we will report progress.
- Year 1 Conduct participatory needs assessments in at least five target communities.
- Year 1 Establish partnerships with at least three government bodies, health facilities or civil society organisations.
- Years 2–3 Publish at least two research or advocacy reports on GBV, girl-child education or women's livelihoods in Cameroon.
- Years 2–3 Secure funding from at least two international donors, UN agencies or foundations.
- Years 4–7 Actively influence national policy on GBV, girl-child education and women's livelihoods through evidence-based advocacy.
Help turn evidence into policy
Documenting what communities experience is how a local problem becomes a national priority.
