ARTICLE II MEMBERSHIP
SECTION I MEMBERSHIP STATUS

The members of ABEMO shall consist of Ordinary members, Home-Based members and Honorary members.

1. ORDINARY MEMBERS

Ordinary members shall be women and men with higher education, fully employed. Ordinary members could reside in any part of Cameroon or out of Cameroon.

The registration of Ordinary members shall be confirmed when a woman graduate presents a degree or higher educational diploma to the National Executive Body.

2. Home-Based Members

Home-Based members are women who reside in any of the rural communities in Cameroon where an activity is ongoing. They MUST be permanently resident in any of the villages and shall have a minimum level of Primary School Education.

3. HONORARY MEMBERS

Honorary members shall be women, men or village-heads (Chiefs) who by virtue of their distinguished contributions to the communities are invited by the National Executive Body to become Honorary members of ABEMO, on recommendation by the Home-Based members or the National Executive Body.

SECTION II RIGHTS OF MEMBERS
1. Only Ordinary members shall be entitled to vote, stand for election or hold office in the National Executive Body of ABEMO.

2. Home-Based members shall be entitled to vote, stand for elections and hold office as Village Based Promoters.

3. Honorary members shall have no voting rights into any of the offices.

SECTION III Affiliation
ABEMO shall be affiliated to any National and International Organisation as decided by the General Assembly.

SECTION IV LIMITATION OF HOME-BASED MEMBERS
The number for members in Home-Based membership would be proportionate to the number of family heads in each village and shall not exceed two for a village population of over 300 family heads.

ARTICLE III ORGANISATION

SECTION I BRANCHES
ABEMO shall consist of Branches through which the work of the Association shall be carried out.

Any group of women, at least five in number in any city in Cameroon or out of Cameroon, whose members are duly qualified in accordance with Article II, Section I, 1; can form a Branch.

Such a Branch must apply for recognition to the National Executive Body.

The objectives and functions of each Branch shall be in accordance with the aims and objectives of ABEMO.

ARTICLE IV FINANCES

1. Sources of finances shall include: Annual dues paid by members, Grants, Donations and Professional / Consultant Services and other Services provided by Members.

2. The annual dues of Ordinary and Home-Based members shall be fixed by the General Assembly.

3. Annual dues shall be paid to the Financial Secretary.

4. Honorary members are expected to give a yearly free-will donation to ABEMO in support of the programs and activities.

ARTICLE V GOVERNING BODY

1. The Governing body shall be the National Executive Body and Village Based Promoters as laid down in Articles VII and VIII below.

2. Ordinary members residing out of Cameroon shall not hold positions in the National Executive Body.

ARTICLE VI GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SECTION I - THE ASSEMBLY
1. The supreme authority shall be vested in the Annual General Assembly.

2. The Assembly shall comprise all members at both National and Village levels who have paid their dues to the Association.

3. ABEMO shall hold its Assembly every year in any city in the country. The Assembly shall decide on the date and place of the next Assembly. In the event of an emergency, the National Executive Body has the power to postpone and alter the date or place of such an Assembly.

4. The officers of ABEMO shall be elected at the Assembly every Triennium.

5. The Assembly shall decide on the programs and activities of ABEMO for the next Triennium.

6. Reports of local activities and finances shall be presented at the Annual General Assembly.

7. The Chairperson at the Assembly shall be the National Coordinator. In her absence, the Assembly shall nominate another member, not Secretary, to preside.

ARTICLE VII VOTING AT ASSEMBLY

The quorum at the Annual General Assembly shall be two third of the registered members having the right to vote and representing two third of the Ordinary members and Home-Based members, together with two members of the National Executive Body.
1. Voting shall be by secret ballot.

2. Ordinary members and Home-Based members shall be entitled to send a proportional number of delegates to the Annual General Assembly.

3. The members entitled to vote at the Annual General Assembly are:

Delegates of Ordinary and Home-Based members as provided for in 2 above.

The National Coordinator, Immediate past National Coordinator, the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary and the Secretary General.

4. A simply majority is needed for a proposition to be accepted, except in the cases of amending the Bye Laws and dissolution of the Association, where a two third majority is obligatory.

ARTICLE VIII THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BODY

SECTION I COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE BODY
1. The National Executive Body shall serve as the Management Board of the Association and shall ensure that the goals and objectives of ABEMO are duly carried out. The Body shall have power between Annual General Assemblies to take decisions on behalf of ABEMO.

It composes of at least 80% women.

2. The National Executive Body shall consist of the National Coordinator, Secretary General, the Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer, the Financial Secretary, Legal Promotion Officer and Public Relation Officer. No member shall serve in the National Executive Body for more than three consecutive terms in the same position.

3. The National Coordinator shall be the presiding officer of the Annual General Assembly. In her absence, any other member appointed by the members present shall preside.

4. Any member who accepts an office at the National Executive Body and absents herself from two consecutive meetings without prior notice or adequate reasons would be deemed to have
relinquished her position.

SECTION II DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE BODY

1. The National Coordinator shall be the presiding officer of the Annual General Assembly and meetings. She shall liase with all officers of ABEMO and leaders of programs and activities. She shall assist the Treasurer and Financial Secretary in preparing the annual budget of ABEMO, she must not be a signatory to group accounts

2. The Secretary General shall keep all minutes and records of the Association. She shall attend all meetings of the Association and may delegate duties to the Assistant Secretary.

3. The Assistant Secretary shall assist the Secretary General in executing her functions.

4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the financial transaction of ABEMO and shall assist the Financial Secretary in preparing annual statements of accounts and annual budget.

5. Financial Secretary shall organise the collection of various dues of the Association and keep records accordingly. She shall prepare the annual statements of accounts and the annual budget of ABEMO.

6. Public Relation Officer shall publicise all important resolutions and decisions of ABEMO. She shall work closely with the National Coordinator and Secretary General of the Association.

7. The Legal Promotion Officer shall advise and facilitate programmes on legal issues.

ARTICLE IX THE VILLAGE BASED PROMOTERS

SECTION I
1. The Village Based Promoters shall be women residing in the villages and with leadership responsibilities in village groups.

2. Each village in the target area shall have two women as promoters for a population of over 300 family heads.

The Home-Based members of ABEMO shall elect the Village Based Promoters. And confirmed by National Executive Body.

The Village Based Promoters shall serve as liaison officers between the National Executive Body and the target population.

5. The Village Based Promoters shall be women with at least primary school education or be able to read and write Basic English or French languages. They shall be between the ages of 25 - 45 years.

ARTICLE X AMENDMENT OF Constitution

1. The power to amend the Constitution shall be vested in the Annual General Assembly.

2. The Annual General Assembly, the National Executive Body or any group of ten voting financial members from separate villages may propose amendments.

3. Notice of proposed amendments must reach the Secretary General at least two months before the date of the Annual General Assembly. A copy of the proposed amendments shall be circulated to at least two National Executive members and ten Village Based Promoters in time to reach them one month before the date of the said meeting.

4. Two third majority of the members of the Annual General Assembly present and entitled to vote shall be required for the adoption of any amendment.

ARTICLE XI DISSOLUTION
1. Notice of proposed dissolution of ABEMO must reach the Secretary General at least six months before the date of an Annual General Assembly and copies shall be circulated to the National Coordinator and two Honorary members within that period.

2. A vote to dissolve ABEMO can be passed by the Annual General Assembly.

In case of dissolution, members shall have no rights to the assets of ABEMO. The assets shall become that of the community to be decided by the National Executive Body.

Done in Kembong - Manyu Division, this eighteenth day of March, 1998.

Revised 29th March 2006 in BUEA

Mrs. Evelyn MAFENI ---------------------------

Mrs. Bilgah OJONG ----------------------------

Ms Etengeneng ArreyOjong -------------------