12 young women were chosen from among the 35 participants, during the semi-final which took place on Saturday March 2, 2024, at the auditorium of the Ministry of Communication.
Voice to break the chains of silence. The semi-final was played at the auditorium of the Ministry of Communication in Yaoundé. Just like in Douala, the participants looked great despite the stress of the day.
They were divided into the minimal, junior and senior categories. Several subjects were submitted to their reflection, including: the role of the young boy in the evolution of women, how to combine social networks, entrepreneurship and moral values. To achieve this, each of them had a maximum of four minutes to convince the jury. Several selection criteria, namely: language level, structure and hierarchy of speech, improvisation, flow of speech, eloquence, good dress. Bernadette NJI is the oldest member of this fourth edition. It was thanks to her daughter that she registered for this competition. She was selected in the senior category, for the final on March 16, despite not knowing much about it. She expresses herself with satisfaction: “The first day, I was sitting down but I didn’t know what it was about. I followed how the other women spoke. From then on, it interested me. The second day, I had not prepared my speech. But, encouraged by a young girl, I went up to the lectern and improvised a speech which pleased the jury.”
Public speaking: a non-profit activity.
The national public speaking competition called “They Talk” was born from the desire of five women passionate about public speaking. At the beginning, it was reserved only for young women from precarious backgrounds. Charlotte DOOH, Vice-President of the BITÕ association, says: “When we set up this competition, we thought of young girls from poor backgrounds. Every evening we went to look for these young girls in areas where insecurity reigns, such as the brickworks district in Yaoundé. Several times, we faced fierce adversity from their parents for whom they were more useful in the itinerant trade of returning from school. It’s thanks to the mayor of this locality who supported us when he learned of this activity.”
This competition, for the Vice-President of this association, is part of an educational and ethical aim: “The initiative of the BITÕ association for the competition”. They speak aims to enable young Cameroonian women to improve their public speaking and leadership. Thanks to this competition, today we see the transformed faces of these young women. It’s a plus for them and for us who support them.”
This competition is not the only activity for women in the BITÕ association. Charlotte DOOH speaks: “Every two months, we organize a round table on a subject that concerns women, with the voluntary assistance of professionals from several sectors. Last year, we organized a round table at the arts counter cultural space located in the Dragages district, on sexual assault. We invited lawyers, a psychoclinician and two senior figures from the police. It was very uplifting for ourselves.”
Serge Ngouadio
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