WOMEN'S ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE NANUMBA-NORTH DISTRICT OF THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

The goal of the study was to examine the extent of women's access to agricultural land in the Nanumba-North District of Northern Ghana. Availability ofland forms the basis for agricultural production. Literature was extensively reviewed focusing on access to land, land tenure system, women in agriculture as well as agricultural and legal land reform policies. Triangulation of research methods were used in data collection, both quantitative and qualitative. These include: survey questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. Questionnaires were administered to 204 farmers in four communities in the Nanumba-North District. The study found that almost half of the farmers had no education at all and majority of which were women. The system of inheritance was mainly Patrilineal, with some pockets of bilateral inheritance in the Muslim dominated communities. Generally, women were seen as non-farmers and therefore had access to small portions of land between less than an acre and 1-2 acres. Government agricultural policies targeted large scale farming than subsistence, which intentionally or unintentionally excluded women since most women farmers are subsistent farmers. Legal land reform policies did not directly look at women land rights and as a result, many respondents called for further reforms of the land policies. In the light of the findings, the study suggested regular symposia for the traditional authorities by CHRAJ on the rights of women and other fundamental human rights enshrined in the Constitution of Ghana. The negative consequences of national land policies and land tenure system on the marginalised, mainly women, call for a new paradigm shift, where NGOs like Send Foundation should help the government in land policy and cultural issues affecting the agrarian societies.