2020
Eli-Anne Anwi Tembeng
- Age: 28
- | She/her/hers
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Expertise Areas:
Gender Equality, Comprehensive Sexuality Education and Menstrual Hygiene Management are all interrelated topics and should be treated as an issue of urgency because individuals can only make informed choices about themselves and their loved ones only when the proper services are available and the right information is being even. By so doing, Sex and sexual activities will be pleasurable to everyone, not just to those with power over others. Every gender should always seek consent.
- Eli-Anne Anwi Tembeng
Bio
Eli-Anne Anwi Tembeng was born and raised in Mbengwi Momo Division where she completed her Secondary Education before gaining admission to the Prestigious University of Buea to receive a Bachelor of Education in Curriculum Studies and Teaching/ History in 2017. Anne volunteered with Denis Miki Foundation (DMF) as programs officer. In June 2014, she was voted as the first female, youngest branch President of the Meta Students’ Association MESTA a position she held for one year before moving to being the branch’s adviser till date and holding other positions at the national level such as Personal Assistant to the national President and later National social Secretary.
Eli-Anne is an African Emerging leader of YALI West Africa Regional leadership Center (RLC) Accra Ghana in 2018, due to her contributions to the growth of the Alumni association in Cameroon she was voted the Secretary General of the association.
Anne is the Founder / Gender Anchor of Hope for a Better Tomorrow -HOBET an NGO which promotes gender equality, quality education, good health and well-being while fighting poverty. She is a member of Commonwealth Youth Gender Equality Network, National Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Menstrual Hygiene Management, Cameroon.
What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?
From her third year in primary school, she had suffered multiple rape instances from both males and a female, most of who were individuals who were considered family members. Without a proper understanding of what was happening to her and with the threat to her life, she found solace in staying mute while nursing a revenge plan. While in the university and later years, some of her loved ones went through the same violence and on her graduation day from the university while menstruating, she was still raped by a friend. After speaking out about it in 2018 on Facebook, others too shared their experiences with her and a close relation to her told her one of the guys who raped her attempted the same with her. But as time went on, she saw the quest for revenge was destroying her life more, so she decided to share her story with the world and help others who have been through similar situations heal from the trauma, speak out, and also they should help others.
Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.
As a survivor who uses her story to educate others, in 2020 she planned to bringing 5 survivors together to educate them on the importance of speaking out but due to the outbreak of COVID-19 she intensified her advocacy online where she has been able to educate more than 25,000 people on understanding, identifying and reporting rape cases. Her dream became a reality in 2022 through Women Deliver small grant where she didn’t only reach out to 5 survivors but 20 survivors and 15 community media platforms physically during a 2 days workshop that was held simultaneously on the importance of speaking out and understanding GBV for survivors and Ethically documenting and reporting SGBV cases for media. This has been her biggest success story because more survivors are now opening up and connecting with her and through the media houses she worked with. Presently she work on these campaigns #HOBETClearingSGBV #MediaAgainstSGBV #GiftThemMenstrualKits #RapeMyFightOurFight
Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?
Outside of Anne’s advocacy works, she loves cooking and learning how to make new dishes, she loves baking, watching comedy and movies. To ease her mental health and practice self care, she goes swimming at the beach and find pleasure in making others happy through event planning and organizing surprise parties for her loved ones.
Languages Spoken:
- English (Advanced/Native)
- French (Elementary)
Publications:
Speaks On:
- Gender Based Violence
- Menstrual Hygiene Management
- Comprehensive Sexuality Education
Past Awards, Certifications, or Fellowships:
- Meta Students’ Association MESTA Outstanding National Executive (2019/2020)
- GAICAM Annual Leadership and Entrepreneurial Fellowship (2019)
- YALI West Africa Emerging Leader (2018)
