Cameroon

Cécile Bibiane Ndjebet is a Cameroonian environmental and women’s rights leader who was awarded the UN’s Champion of the Earth distinction in 2022. Growing up in the forests of Cameroon exposed her to the struggles women face with land access and security amid the climate crisis. Africa is home to the second-largest rainforest in the world, and many communities rely on the forest for food, shelter, and economic prosperity. Women often lead food production from the land. However, they are not given rights to the land due to patriarchal customs and laws that prioritize men. The lack of protection for women propelled Ndjebet down the path of activism. She formed the Cameroon Ecology group which supports community-owned forests in order to restore and conserve the land. Ndjebet advocates that, as stewards of the land, women deserve documented access to inheritance and land ownership. She furthermore emphasizes how women’s leadership, alongside the support of male leaders, is critical in conserving Cameroon’s biodiverse forests. Through her organizing, Ndjebet is fighting for funding and decision-making power for Cameroonian women as an essential part of the preservation of their landscape.