The Comocam nuns pose for the WWO after seeing the film "Invisibles"
Esther Nyacke Ntah
Community Manager WWO, French-speaking Africa Zone
On Friday 26 July 2024, the nuns of the Conference of Monasteries of Cameroon (Comocam) watched the film "Invisibles" by the Observatoire Mondial des Femmes (WWO) at the Monastère Notre Dame des Bénédictins du Mont Fébé. It was at the request of Father Nicolas Biduaya, National President of Comocam, that Lia Beltrami's film was scheduled as an intermission during this General Assembly of the Comocam Sisters.
Father Nicolas Biduaya, Prior of the Mont fébé Monastery, had the opportunity to see this film and to follow the Observatory's activities through the Monastery's Mothers who are members of WUCWO, and de facto members of the World Women´s Observatory. He encouraged the Comocam nuns to watch this film, because the director lets the pain of African women be audible. In his opinion, the issue of mistreatment of women must be taken very seriously by our institutions, because it is a degrading scourge for women.
At the end of the screening, the Comocam nuns chose not to comment openly on the documentary. However, as an aside, they acknowledged that WWO's mission to make women victims of violence visible is fabulous, given that domestic violence is the most common form of violence in our environment.
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Unlike their sisters, the priests present at the screening were pleased to share their opinions on the film "Invisibles".
Father Nicolas BIDUAYA
"The protagonists have said so, there are two lessons to be learned from this documentary: the first is that violence starts in the home when the husband no longer has the means to provide for his family. At that point, he feels weak and turns into his wife's tyrant. The second lesson is that it is important for a woman to learn a trade before getting married. This will enable her to be autonomous and to provide a help for her family. When a husband and wife have a professional occupation, there is no longer any room for violence in the home".
Father Jacques Marcel EDZIMBI
"One of the protagonists in the film stood out for me because she reminded me of my mother's dynamism. Like my mother, she became a widow very early on and suddenly realised that she didn't know how to achieve anything in life. So, she decided to learn pastry-making and learnt to make traditional beer to support her children. That´s exactly what my mother did. It must be recognised that women are the bravest people in the world, because when they are in difficult situations, they fight. That is why it's extraordinary that institutions such as the WWO give special attention to these vulnerable women. In the future, we should even provide them with assistance".
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