Women in politics: Cameroon – in pictures

Bih Pascaline, lead project staff on the Democracy and Empowerment of Women programme at the local NGO, Cominsud (Community Initiative for Sustainable Development) in north-west Cameroon. She is holding the 'Woman 4 Woman' Pink Card, which was introduced on International Women's Day as a reminder to support women candidates who wished to get involved in politics Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Bih Pascaline delivering a training session to the would-be female councillors at the Bishop Shanahan centre in Ndu, north-west Cameroon Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

At the training session, an aspirant councillor's notes on the breakdown of women in Cameroonian senior political life Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Councillor Bridget Takwe, currently the only female councillor at Ndu. She has been involved in creating scholarships for high-achieving students as well as orphaned children. 'I am one woman – we need more. We are not looking to push men out, we want to work alongside them, together' Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Mirabel Ngong and another worker at the Cominsud offices in Bamenda, north-west Cameroon Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Florence Woazineh, an agro-socio economist specialising in rural economics. She has been training women in Cameroon on general issues: what politics is and how they can get involved, as well as addressing the barriers stopping women from getting into councils, from low self-esteem to a fear of public speaking, to fundraising for registration and campaigning Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Mirabel Ngong, a national volunteer, currently working at Cominsud on the Democracy and Empowerment of Women programme Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Women receiving training on public speaking and the electoral code at the Bishop Shanahan centre in Ndu Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Madam Sarah Koye Ngala, with a few members of her women's group in Ndu, north-west Cameroon, most of whom are farmers. She had campaigned on a number of issues affecting the rural area: better roads to the women's farmland, better healthcare and better irrigation systems. Ngala was unsuccessful in her bid to be selected as a candidate in pending elections, but has promised to work very closely with whoever gets the seat Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO

Bipartisan training session for aspirant councillors at the Bishop Shanahan centre in Ndu Photograph: Jenny Matthews/VSO