Project Summary

Actions for Development and Empowerment (ADE), in partnership with Community Solutions Media (CSM), launched the Empowering Every Vote Project to strengthen the participation of youth and marginalized groups in Cameroon’s electoral processes. The project aimed to promote inclusivity and democratic values through enhanced awareness, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder engagement. Additionally, it sought to advance responsible journalism by equipping media professionals with the skills to counter electoral misinformation and effectively report on all phases of the electoral process.

With support from the British High Commission in Cameroon, the project trained 20 journalists from across the country on Election Reporting and Countering Electoral Mis/Disinformation. The initiative also convened 100 stakeholders—including religious leaders, media practitioners, civil society organizations (CSOs), youth groups, taxi drivers, political parties, activists, women-led organizations, feminists, parliamentarians, and marginalized groups—in both Yaoundé and Douala. These engagements facilitated critical conversations on combating misinformation, promoting voter registration, and fostering collaborative approaches to increase electoral participation.

The project also engaged 100 student union leaders from two universities in Yaoundé and Douala, focusing on civic engagement and youth political participation.

As part of its long-term impact, the project also enabled ADE and its partners to develop a digital application, now available on the Play Store and App Store, designed to promote civic engagement and provide accessible, up-to-date electoral information to the public.