March 8 wax print
The author of a Facebook post shared about 50 times since March 3 claims that the picture above is the wax print designed for the celebration of International Women's Day (IWD) 2021 in Cameroon.
On the commemorative cloth, we can see a light-skinned woman wearing ethnic ornaments but the most amusing part is the message printed on it: "La femme doit jouir" (Women also have the right to org*sm).
A reverse image search referred us to articles that claim the wax print illustrating the Facebook post was designed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while a Twitter post claims it was made in Burkina Faso.
Fact is, this wax print is not the print designed by Cameroon for the 2021 IWD as a Facebook user already commented below the post showing the real wax print designed by CICAM. A google search confirms her comment and the image she posted as the real one, not the fake posted by the author of that post. The patterns, images, colors, and messages on the fabric made by the Cotton Industry of Cameroon (Cicam) for the IWD 2021 celebration are completely different from those we can see on the fake wax print.
On the real one, the IWD is written in French and English, which are the two official languages of Cameroon. This is not the case in the picture posted by the controversial Facebook post. Also, the woman printed on the real wax print has a scarf in the national colors (green-red-yellow) tied on her head. She also wears a protective mask, which is probably CICAM’s way to remind about the coronavirus pandemic, sensitize women to stick with the preventive measures issued by the government, and illustrate the theme chosen for this 36th edition which is "Female leadership: For an egalitarian future in a world affected by the Covid-19."
The funny message on the fake picture is nowhere to be seen on the real wax print. Instead, there are messages like "Empower women, transform the future" written in French and English.
Let’s note that International Women's Day, which is celebrated every March 8, highlights the struggle for women's rights. In Cameroon, various activities are organized to celebrate that day. This includes a parade during which women wear the wax print designed for the day. However, this year’s parades, including the one presided by First Lady Chantal Biya in Yaounde, were canceled due to the Covid-19.
Patricia Ngo Ngouem
