MINFOPRA bent on eradicating illegal marriages in Cameroon

The declaration was made known during celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the International day of the family jointly celebrated with mass legalization of marriages by the sub divisional delegate of women empowerment and family in Tiko sub division, Friday, May 23, 2014.
By Sarah Nkongho Ojong in Tiko 

Group photo of couples with 3^rd deputy mayor

 & other Tiko officials

With considerations based on the role and importance of the family as the basic foundation of society, the ministry saw it necessary to accord the institution its rightful place in line with the UN by initiating practices to promote and protect the family. Celebrated under the theme 50 years of promotion and protection of the family, the international day of the family also witnessed the 7th mass legalization of marriages in Tiko where a total of 98 couples took part in the joyous exercise as opposed to 79 last year.
    Overwhelmed by the increase and huge participation of couples in the mass marriage this year, the sub divisional delegate of women empowerment and family, Sone John Mesumbe called on the couples to take their matrimonial responsibilities seriously and act as ambassadors to such great initiatives instituted by the ministry, so that together they can completely stamp out the cohabitation phenomenon in their society.

    In his address during the occasion, the delegate John Mesumbe highlighted that efforts on the promotion and protection of the family in Cameroon have yielded some significant results moving from nuclear families to extended families, witness positive relationship between husband and wife as parents in relation to their children, a rise and increase in the engagement of women and their families in socio-economic and even political activities.
    To this, ensuring proper protection and promotion of the family will mean prevailing over those issues that greatly hamper the peaceful and harmonized functioning of the family amongst which cohabitation is a major contribute.
    The delegation therefore put forth some procedures to help foster the growth of the family – the reinforcement of the fight against violence and discriminatory practices in the family, intensify parental education, implement policies to magnify the capacity of the family as a development agent, promote gender equality and the role of children in fighting family poverty.
    The mass marriage which involved mostly couples who have stayed together for long without any legal marriage certificate had as testimonials from some couples that “it offered them the opportunity to be reunited and develop their love shared thus building their families”, as explained by Mr./Mrs. Tchoffo one of the newlyweds.
    It is worth noting that the mass marriage exercise is very cheap to run especially to couples with insufficient funds who wish to stay off the stress of organizing a big marriage ceremony as registration stance at just 10,000fcfa with an additional fee of 3,000fcfa for refreshment, a total of 13,000fcfa and a couple gets a marriage certificate.
    Procedures involved include compilation of documents amongst which is the couples birth certificates, passport size photos, an attestation of service and certificate of residence to those born out of the area of jurisdiction where the marriages take place.