TITLE:
The Complexities of Women Land Ownership in Northern Ghana
AUTHORS:
Millar Katherine Kaunza-Nu-Dem, Babatunde Tijani, David Millar, Anafo Humphrey
KEYWORDS:
Land Tenure, Women Land Conflicts, Ownership, Endogenous Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.8,
August
24,
2016
ABSTRACT: Land issues have the potential to, and actually do generate a lot of
conflicts and controversies in rural communities. In Northern Ghana, certain
dilemmas, animated controversies, and conflicts about land rights, the
resolution of which sometimes leads relatively innocuous compromise later
manifest in several negative ramifications. For women in particular, the above
negativities associated with land are even more pronounce and more protracted.
This research adopted a case study approach to conduct this survey. The
specific techniques used for data collection and analysis include: stratified
group discussions, focus group discussions, key informant interview, phased assertion
(confrontational dialogue), and critical arena analysis. The major findings
include the fact that both men and women stated that land allocation to women
is a regular affair now. It is the aspect of outright long-term ownership and
user rights that are still very restricted. Since women do not sacrifice to the
land her role in land sacrifices will be problematic. Women would prefer to acquire
such formalized rights in their husbands’ homes, with the understanding that
they could pass rights so acquired to their sons. Because of the intricate
nature of land and the complications therein, and for the avoidance of
perpetual conflicts, the women opted for increasing user-rights rather than
ownership or controls of land. The concept of ownership, in their local language,
was very nebulous to the women. Some were quick to state that they never wanted
to own land. The study thus recommended that the socio-cultural values and
practices in the area were inimical to any reforms to mainstream women in land
issues. An extensive education and re-education of communities, linked with
exposing them to best practices elsewhere are recommended. An endogenous
development approach is recommended for such an education. There is a need to
strengthen dialogue between women and men on issues of land. When men
appreciate the benefits of making land available to women it facilitates the
ease of giving out land. Economic empowerment of women is also recommended as a
way of making land more accessible to women. The women contend that when they
have money or wealth in the form of livestock, these assets make it easier for
them to either rent land or engage in some form of traditional land tenure arrangement
to acquire land for farming purposes.