In Cameroon, a Female-Centered Organization Works to Conquer the Poverty of Rural Women

By Rebecca N. Fonkem Coordinator, Rural Women Development Council, Cameroon UNICEF Photo/Maggie Murray-Lee Poverty in any category is a negation of human rights. No single yardstick can be used to satisfactorily define poverty. Nevertheless, for convenience sake, poverty can be defined as absolute, relative and subjective. The concept of absolute poverty involves judgement of basic needs that are measured in terms of resources required to maintain the average well-being of an individual or group of individuals. These resources may include the quality and quantity of food, clothing and shelter - the basic necessities of life. If these basic necessities are priced and someone's income level falls below that figure, it indicates absolute poverty. But an argument still holds that these basic needs equally vary among people in the same society. For example, a bank manager needs a house with modern facilities, while a labourer of the same bank may need only a single-room house, with probably land to do some farming - a means to raise his income level. Many researchers consider absolute poverty as being insufficient to determine poverty, looking at its diversity. Instead, they have replaced it with standards that are relative to a particular time and place, which are reasonable and acceptable as a style of living in accordance with the conventions of the day. Peter Townsend said that any definition of poverty must be related to the needs and demands of a changing society. The living conditions of a relatively poor man in the same society might change with time and, therefore, a problem of comparison with another relatively poor person in another socierty does not "hold water". In short, circumstances and expectations usually differ with time and from place to place. In this regard, comparisons are invalid. Townsend argues that two standards of poverty are required: "national-relational", based on relative poverty according to the convention of the particular society; and "world-relational", based on more artificial standards which involve a return to absolute standards of poverty. According to Townsend, poverty can be better compared in different societies from these viewpoints. Subjective poverty is poverty with a difference, that is, the poor has to accept or feel his poverty, not only from the assessment of onlookers. For example, a wealthy businessman who can no longer sell for an expected amount per day considers himself to be poor, while relatively poor people still consider him to be rich, looking at his lifestyle and income level. Alternatively, individuals or groups who do not see themselves to be poor may be judged by the majority to be in poverty, for example, older people. The perceptional nature of this concept makes it unique. Most significantly, what defines the situation of the world's poorest people is their insecurity and vulnerability. For example, an unskilled labourer working with the Government in the far north (less productive) region of Cameroon, who is equally engaged in subsistence farming, would be vulnerable to rising unemployment caused by the economic crisis in the 1980s. In short, the poor suffer from a variety of disadvantages, all of which interlock with one another to create an umcompromising poverty trap. Income levels vary and, as a result, poverty exists. No man is meant to be poor, but in most cases the prevailing system subjects one to be. Since it is difficult to change a system overnight, the individual can change to beat the system-strategy to end poverty. Based on the above, the Rural Women Development Council (RWDC) - a female-centred non-governmental organization in the southwest province of Cameroon - caters to defeat poverty of rural women by increasing their income levels through micro-credit schemes. Over 200 rural women who have benefitted from this scheme are engaged in farming and small trades. In addition to income, increased equity, enhanced opportunity, peace and security, participation and sustainable future help to defeat poverty. How many countries in Africa can boast of all of these characteristics? Just as poverty is not solely a matter of lack of income or perpetual want, it follows that its eradication must be achieved through strategies which enhance the ability of local communities to adapt to stress, overcome emergencies and improve long-term productivity. In this regard, RWDC holds the view that income defeats poverty as the loanees are today economically above other rural women. If these women can defeat poverty through hard work to increase their income levels, why not others, not to mention men who are gifted with natural strength to till the land and other physical jobs to earn income. Comments