Persistent cultural, legal and economic barriers limiting the access of women to, ownership and control of land will come under scrutiny in Bamenda on Thursday, August 27, as women’s groups and land governance stakeholders meet to seek practical solutions for more inclusive land governance in the North West Region.
The one day joint meeting, organised by the Community Agriculture and Environmental Protection Association (CAEPA), is part of the project “advancing mbororo women’s land rights and governance influence in Cameroon.”
The meeting comes against a backdrop in which Mbororo women face particular difficulties securing land rights. Existing evidence points to patriarchal customary practices, restrictions on inheritance, poverty, limited awareness of legal rights and the cost and complexity of formal land registration as some of the barriers limiting their ability to own, control or inherit land.
For women from the Mbororo community, these challenges can be compounded by their position as an indigenous pastoralist minority, creating overlapping social and economic disadvantages.
The gap between legal rights and practices at community level is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions. While the legal framework in Cameroon provides for equality and property rights, customary practices continue to influence land allocation, inheritance and decision making in many rural communities.
CAEPA says bringing women’s organisations together with land governance actors is intended to move the discussion beyond identifying these barriers towards coordinated advocacy and practical action.
The meeting is expected to do an overview of the project and presentation of survey findings on the status, challenges and opportunities surrounding women’s access to, ownership of and control over land in Cameroon. Participants will also examine the land rights landscape affecting women and Mbororo communities.
A key session will be a panel discussion on “women land rights, the role of traditional authorities and policy makers in inclusive land governance.” The session is expected to examine how traditional authorities, policymakers and other land governance actors can contribute to improving the participation of women in land related decisions.
Traditional leaders are particularly relevant to the discussion because customary systems continue to influence access to and control over land in many communities. Previous community based interventions have sought to engage Ardos, quarter heads and religious leaders in discussions on land use rights of women and participation in land governance.
The outcome is therefore expected to a clearer set of actions for strengthening the land rights of women, improving accountability among land governance actors and increasing the participation of Mbororo women in decisions affecting land.
For CAEPA, the immediate challenge is to ensure that the recommendations emerging from the meeting translate into advocacy, policy engagement and community level action capable of closing the gap between women’s recognised rights and their ability to exercise those rights in practice.
By Asheri Loveline for Hilltopvoices Web
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