As International Women’s Day approaches each year, familiar conversations resurface in offices, institutions, and private companies across Cameroon. Attention turns to the commemorative fabric, catering arrangements, entertainment, and group photographs. In many workplaces, March 8 has become a routine event and, in some cases, a marketing opportunity rather than a moment to examine the realities women continue to face.
Celebration is not the issue. International Women’s Day was created to recognise women’s contributions while drawing attention to inequality and structural barriers. The concern arises when commemoration becomes disconnected from lived experience, particularly in the world of work where many women remain economically active but institutionally vulnerable.
According to labour statistics published in January 2024 by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) highlight this contradiction. The data shows that women play a central role in Cameroon’s economy, especially within the informal sector. According to the report, 68.3% of working women operate independently compared to 48.2 % of men. This points to a strong entrepreneurial presence among women but also reflects the limited availability of stable formal employment.
Despite this high level of economic participation, women remain disproportionately concentrated in low-qualification sectors. The same January 2024 figures indicate that only 21.6% of women have received professional training compared to 28.6% of men. This gap continues to restrict women’s access to skilled and secure employment, reinforcing their presence in informal activities where labour protections are weak or absent.
Women also make up a significant share of informal businesses. In non-agricultural informal activities, they account for 54.3% of the workforce compared to 50.2% for men. In agricultural activities, women represent 36.6% while men make up 33%. These figures confirm that women are not marginal economic actors. They are central to production, trade, and household survival. Yet the sectors in which they dominate remain among the least protected.
This reality has direct consequences for maternity protection. Many women working in informal or semi-formal settings have no guaranteed maternity leave, no income security, and no access to social protection. Even within the formal sector, enforcement of maternity rights remains inconsistent, particularly in private enterprises. Numerous women return to work within weeks of childbirth, not because they are ready, but because extended absence risks income loss, replacement, or contract termination.
In some workplaces, maternity leave is treated as a favour rather than a right. Women are discouraged from taking the full duration and, in certain cases, explicitly told that extended absence is not permitted. This forces new mothers into an impossible choice between recovery and economic survival. The contradiction becomes especially visible when institutions that fail to provide maternity protection organize elaborate Women’s Day celebrations praising women’s resilience and productivity.
Alongside maternity insecurity, the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace remains largely unaddressed. Many organizations lack clear policies, reporting mechanisms, or confidential complaint procedures. Where such structures exist, they are often poorly communicated or weakly enforced. For women operating in a labour market with limited alternatives, reporting abuse can lead to retaliation, stalled careers, or job loss. Silence, in many cases, becomes a survival strategy.
These realities are rarely visible during Women’s Day commemorations, which often focus on symbolic recognition rather than institutional accountability. When celebration replaces reflection, Women’s Day risks becoming performative. It allows organizations to project support for women without addressing the conditions under which they work throughout the year.
Women’s Day does not hold the same meaning for all women. For some, the celebration offers visibility and inclusion in environments where women are otherwise overlooked. Participating in festivities does not negate the need for reform. The concern arises when celebration becomes the final outcome rather than the starting point for change.
For many women, expectations surrounding International Women’s Day extend beyond a single date. They seek enforceable maternity protection, access to professional training, safe workplaces, and fair opportunities for advancement. They seek dignity reflected not only in speeches and ceremonies but in contracts, policies, and daily practice.
The figures are clear. Women are driving large segments of Cameroon’s economy, yet remain overrepresented in informal, insecure, and low-paid work. A meaningful commemoration of Women’s Day must acknowledge this reality and prompt serious conversations about labour protection, skills development, and enforcement of existing laws.
As institutions finalize plans for March 8, the question should not only be how to celebrate, but what lasting progress those celebrations support. Recognition that ends with an event offers little reassurance to the millions of women who return to unprotected workplaces on March 9.
If International Women’s Day is to retain its relevance in Cameroon, it must evolve beyond ceremony. It must serve as a platform for accountability, policy enforcement, and cultural change. Celebration should reflect progress, not replace it.