No to Sugar Daddies, No to AIDS Campaign - Cameroon

This campaign grows out of the work and the commitments of each participating organisation. Through its 100% Jeune adolescent reproductive health campaign, ACMS encourages abstinence, fidelity, partner reduction and correct and consistent condom use among 15- to 24-year-old youth. The GTZ also works in reproductive health areas, with a focus on girls that drop out of school due to pregnancy. The tackling of social norms that have made cross-generational sex a common practice was identified as a priority by both organisations. Thus, they banded together to develop this campaign, in collaboration with government ministries, church and youth groups, volunteer agencies, United Nations agencies, and legal advisors. The strategy of partnership is also reflected in the campaign launch (June 2005), which was led by a high-profile official, Professor Fru Aguafor III, secretary general at the Ministry of Public Health.

Along these lines, the campaign's development was based on a recognition of the importance of positive role models for men and, thus, worked to engage men of stature, such as government officials and members of the clergy, to spread the message that taking advantage of girls is wrong and that cross-generational sex can lead to HIV infection. According to the partnering organisations, baseline research findings on cross-generational sex have proven to be a powerful tool in presenting the problem to youth and to business, religious, and political leaders in seminars that bring home the message that - while poverty may be offered as an excuse for the girls - there is no excuse for the men involved.

To cite an example of this strategy, following one such seminar, the Archbishop of Douala spoke out against cross-generational sex in his Sunday sermon. Faith-based organisations (FBOs) working through the National AIDS Committee adopted the theme "No to Sugar Daddies, No to AIDS" as their key message in the fight against AIDS in 2006.

The first phase of the campaign highlighted the dangers of sugar daddy relationships and society’s complicity in this practice. Using the media of television, radio, and printed materials, the campaign focused on two themes. The first is the practice of cross-generational sex itself, how it is "winked at", and the danger of HIV/AIDS transmission, with the message "Sugar Daddy + Young Girl = Danger." The second theme addresses the role of parents, with the message that "keeping quiet, letting go, is being an accomplice."

Organisers indicate that both the ad campaign and the seminars have been well covered by the local media, a strategy that has further provoked societal reflection on the phenomenon.

According to organisers, "A comprehensive review of studies in sub-Saharan Africa revealed that 12% to 25% of young women’s sexual partners were at least ten years older. Social and community acceptance of this practice is a significant reason why more than one-third of teenage girls in some regions of eastern and southern Africa are living with HIV.

Older men seek status and prestige among their peers by having one or more young girlfriends. Anecdotal evidence suggests that they are motivated by having regular access to sex and a belief that young girls are less expensive companions.

Financial gain was identified as the biggest incentive for women to engage in cross-generational relationships. Many girls are encouraged to seek out these sugar daddies by their peers, while the community overlooks and sometimes even approves of these relationships. Mothers have been known to encourage such relationships so that a daughter will be less of a burden on strained resources or will have more money to spend on the family."