MINPROFF

Ministry of Women's Empowerment and the Family

FOCUS ON HOW MINPROFF SUPPORTS CHILDREN’S LATE BIRTH REGISTRATION AT THE CIVIL STATUS

Let’s start by affirming that MINPROFF’s action is in line with the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, in strict compliance with the sacrosanct principles of non-discrimination and the child’s best interests, as enshrined in international legal instruments to which Cameroon has subscribed. These include among others, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

It is important to recall that in Cameroon, the national birth registration rate for children below the age of five (5) was estimated at 66.1%, according to the 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). The same source indicates that the lowest rates are found in the Far North (42%), North (61%), South-West (56%) and East (58%). While these rates appear to be satisfactory in some regions, huge disparities persist among divisions within the same region.

MINPROFF’s support to families is enshrined in Decree No. 2012/638 of 21 December 2012 on the organisation of this Ministry, which created a Department for the Promotion and Protection of the Family and the Rights of the Child. Article 33, paragraph 2 of this decree stipulates that the Department for the Promotion of the Rights of the Child is in charge of “facilitating birth registration“. This facilitation can be perceived in two ways: on the one hand, educating families and communities on the importance of birth certificates and the need to declare all births within the legal deadlines. Our field services are committed to this on a daily basis. On the other hand, this facilitation can be understood as any support that MINPROFF could provide to vulnerable families, with the aim of registering their children before the deadline at the civil status, through the supplementary rulings procedure.

On 14 September 2018, as part of celebration of the 28th edition of the Day of the African Child, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family chaired the first official handover ceremony of 1 246 birth certificates in Eseka, established with the support of this Ministry, for children in the Nyong-and-Kelle division. This event did not only highlight the importance of birth certificates but also tackled one of the pressing challenges of our time: children living without birth certificates.

This campaign began with a pilot phase and has now reached its final stage, which is the signing of contracts with municipalities.

  • Pilot Phase with MINPROFF’s officials of Decentralised Services

In terms of methodology, it should be noted that the identification procedure, the compilation of files and the referral of cases to courts were initially entrusted to MINPROFF’s Divisional Delegates. They were expected to identify children living without birth certificates in their respective areas of jurisdiction, prepare the required documents in collaboration with families concerned, notably, the certificate of apparent age and the certificate of non-registration to the civil status, which is often referred to as the certificate of non-existence of birth record up to the transmission of files to competent courts.

It is during this phase that MINPROFF financed the establishment of 2 820 birth certificates between 2019 and 2020 in the Vina, Ocean, Upper-Sanaga, Ntem Valley and the Mefou-and-Afamba Divisions as shown in the table below.

Year Region Division Cost of Birth Certificate Number of Financed Birth Certificates Total Cost
 

 

2019

Adamawa Vina

 

 

 

 

 

8000

920 7360 000
 

South

Ocean

 

500 4000 000
 Ntem Valley

 

100 800000
Centre Upper Sanaga

 

300 2400000
2020 Littoral Nkam

 

500 4000 000
Centre Mefou and Afamba

 

500 4000 000
TOTAL 2820 22 560 000
  • Contracting Phase with Councils

At a time when the decentralisation drive initiated by the Head of State, His Excellency Paul Biya, is irreversibly gaining momentum, MINPROFF deemed it necessary to empower regional and local authorities who better understand the needs of their populations. It is in this light that, for the 2021 financial year, MINPROFF was solicited by the Nguelemendouka Council for the registration of 3000 children in the civil status, at the cost of 24 million CFAF. Minister ABENA ONDOA née Marie-Thérèse personally presided over this ceremony at Nguelemendouka on 5 May 2022 to hand over the birth certificates to parents.

Following the success and media coverage of this high impact social activity, the demand for birth certificates significantly increased.

For the 2022 financial year, MINPROFF provided financial support worth 88 911 000 CFAF to six (6) councils that requested for it, in order to register 11 114 children at the civil status, as detailed in the table below:

COUNCILS QUANTITY FINANCED UNIT COST TOTAL AMOUNT
DOUME 3 000 8 000 24 000 000

 

MAYO DARLE 2 000 8 000 16 000 000

 

BELO 727 8 000 5 816 000

 

NGAN-HA 2 127 8 000 17 015 000

 

MBANKOMO 2 171 8000 17 368 000

 

OLANGUINA 1 089 8 000 8 712 000

 

TOTAL 11 114   88 911 000

The case of the Belo Council (Boyo Division, North-West) has particularly caught MINPROFF’s attention. Succeeding in this operation within a difficult security context was a major challenge for the Mayor of this council who even went beyond forecasts. He issued 916 birth certificates. Unfortunately, he was killed on October 2024 by secessionists.

Similarly, the Doume Council also established 3 542 birth certificates out of the 3000 expected, that is 542 additional birth certificates. Minister Marie-Thérèse ABENA ONDOA commended these achievements at the official handover ceremony which she chaired on 24 June 2024 at the Doume ceremonial ground.   To express her satisfaction, and with a view to giving other children in the Doume sub division who do not have this precious document a chance, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family granted an additional support of 10 000 000 CFAF (ten million) for the registration of another 1000 children of this council at the civil status.

For the 2023 financial year, MINPROFF granted 266 911 000 CFAF to 21 councils for the establishment of 26 691 birth certificates, distributed as follows:

REGIONS COUNCILS  QUANTITY FUNDED  UNIT PRICE TOTAL AMOUNT
CENTRE Nitoukou                         822      10 000             8 220 000
Mengueme                     1 500      10 000           15 000 000
Ayos                     1 500       10 000            15 000 000
Akono                     1 500       10 000            15 000 000
Ngoumou                     1 028       10 000            10 280 000
Esse                     1 500       10 000            15 000 000
Bot Makak                     1 000      10 000           10 000 000
Ebebda                     1 500       10 000           15 000 000
SOUTH Kribi 2                     1 500      10 000            15 000 000
Bipindi                     1 000       10 000            10 000 000
Ambam                         860      10 000             8 600 000
Ebolowa                     1 500       10 000            15 000 000
Biwong Bulu                     1 200      10 000            12 000 000
EAST Mboma                     1 000      10 000            10 000 000
Ngoyla                     1 000       10 000           10 000 000
Messamena                     1 500       10 000            15 000 000
LITTORAL Bare                         766       10 000              7 660 000
FAR NORTH Datcheka                     2 000      10 000           20 000 000
NORTH Figuil                     1 015       10 000            10 150 000
ADAMAWA Mbe                     1 500       10 000           15 000 000
Mayo Baleo                     1 500      10 000           15 000 000
TOTAL                     26 691            266 910 000

 For the 2024 financial year, an additional 14 220 children will benefit from this support. They are from 12 municipalities, as shown in the table below:

REGION DIVISION COUNCILS AMOUNT RECEIVED NUMBER OF CHILDREN TO REGISTER
Adamawa Mayo Banyo Bankim 12 000 000 1 200
 

 

Centre

Mefou-and-Akono Bikok 15 000 000 1 500
Mefou-and-Afamba Mfou 15 000 000 1 500
Upper Sanaga Lembe-Yezoum 15 000 000 1 500
Nyong-and-Kelle Eseka 2 110 000 211
Mbam-and-Inoubou Ombessa 9 200 000 920
Far North Logon-and-Chari Goulfey 10 570 000 1 067
North Moyo Rey Mandingring 15 000 000 1 500
West Nde Bangangte 15 000 000 1 500
Upper-Nkam Bafang 15 000 000 1 500
South Dja-and-Lobo Meyomessi 11 180 000 1 118
South-West Fako Buea 7 060 000 706
7 Regions concerned 12 Divisions 12 Councils 142 222 000 14 222 children

In this regard, between 2019 and 2024, MINPROFF supported the registration of 61 826 children in the civil status, through the supplementary ruling procedure, to the tune of 554 602 000 CFAF.

  • Way forward

In terms of prospects, MINPROFF intends to continue and strengthen awareness-raising among communities on the following:

  • the importance of a birth certificate;
  • the need to declare births within deadlines;
  • and the need to withdraw birth certificates established;
  • the danger of having birth certificates established in private structures by non-experts.

Currently, 141 456 applications are still awaiting funding. MINPROFF intends to step up its efforts in order to give these children a legal existence.

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