The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family (MINPROFF) was created by Decree No. 2011/408 of 09 December 2011 to organise the Government. Decree No. 2011/638 of 21 December 2012 specifies its organisation. The national priorities, defined by the Government are contained in Cameroon’s Development Vision by 2035 and are operationalised in the 2020-2030 National Development Strategy (NDS30). With the NDS30, Cameroon “intends to carry out a structural transformation of its economy by operating fundamental changes in economic and social structures in order to foster endogenous and inclusive development while preserving the opportunities of future generations.” In order to get to the level of a newly industrialised country, the NDS30 has set as its objective, within the framework of human capital development and well-being, the main pillar under which most of MINPROFF’s action falls, to “improve people’s living conditions and their access to basic social services by ensuring a significant reduction of poverty and underemployment”. With regard to the role that women and families play in agropastoral activities and the consequences of climate change on the livelihoods of vulnerable groups, especially small-scale female farmers, MINPROFF is also called upon to contribute in achieving the objective of “strengthening measures to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change and environmental management in order to guarantee sustainable and inclusive economic growth and social development”. The contribution of the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family to Cameroon’s three-year development programming is based on the two (2) strategic documents mentioned above. It focuses primarily on the need to “empower a woman with a socially reinforced role and economically autonomous; a stable and harmonious family”, with a view to ‘enable the population to meet their basic needs, enjoy their fundamental rights and assume their duties”. MINPROFF’s actions fall in line with the human development framework, particularly in the following areas: (i) social prevention and protection; (ii) national solidarity and social justice; (iii) social and family education; (iv) employment and vocational training; (v) strengthening the legal, institutional and capacity-building frameworks. In accordance with these guidelines, MINROFF has focused its contribution in the country’s development on four (4) programmes including three (3) technical programmes and one (1) support programme. They are:
- Women’s Empowerment and Gender promotion;
- Women’s Economic Empowerment;
- Family Development and Protection of the Rights of the Child;
- Institutional Support and Governance.