Chi Yvonne Leina says to all women "You are a special being!"

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Air date: 
Sat, 03/08/2014 - 12:00am
Chi Yvonne Leina, Cameroonian "Noise Maker" talks about the challenges women face in her country.
On International Women Day 2014, Saturday March 8th, we heard a message of hope and strength from Cameroonian activist Chi Yvonne Leina.

"Chi Yvonne Leina is a Cameroonian journalist, community leader, and digital media change agent dedicated to shining a light on the unheard voices of ordinary women in Africa and transforming their fate."


Delphine Criscenzo, host and producer for Bread and Roses spoke with Leina about the challenges women face in the Cameroon. They discuss a new decree that tries to prevent sexual aggression in the streets of Cameroon by criminalizing the way women dress. They also discuss Leina's experience as a journalist in a sexist newsroom and her commitment to end the practice of Breast Ironing in Cameroon.

Leina's organization, Gender Danger, is a non-profit "founded to support victims of gender based violence in Cameroon." It aims to fight harmful cultural practices such as Breast Ironing. They started a campaign in mid-2012 which has reached 20,000 women in Cameroon who have pledged to end breast ironing.

Leina has partnered with Raminas King, a young male musician in the Cameroon on a song to "Stop Breast Ironing". We played the song during the show!

To read more about Leina and Gender Danger, visit their website: http://genderdanger.webs.com/

To read some of Leina's coverage on Breast Ironing and other issues facing women, visit her blog on World Pulse: http://worldpulse.com/user/6565
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