The gap between women’s recognised rights to land and their ability to secure, inherit and control it in practice took centre stage in Bamenda Thursday, as government officials, traditional authorities and women’s groups called for stronger support, legal awareness and community action.
The call came during a panel discussion on “Women Land Rights, the Role of Traditional Authorities and Policy Makers in Inclusive Land Governance,” held as part of a one day joint meeting organised by the Community Agriculture and Environmental Protection Association (CAEPA).
Opening the panel session, Nsaboh Nelson, Deputy Mayor of Tubah Council, assured participants of the council’s readiness to accompany women in acquiring and securing land.
He said local authorities have a role to play in ensuring that women are not left behind in land governance and encouraged women’s groups to engage the relevant institutions whenever they face land related challenges.
The discussion, moderated by Barrister Unusa Karimu, examined the practical difficulties women encounter in securing land, from inadequate knowledge of the law and customary practices to the cost and procedures involved in obtaining a land certificate.
Ayuni Austin Sakah, Divisional Officer for Bamenda III, urged participants to reject the idea that knowledge of land matters belongs exclusively to technical services and legal professionals.
He encouraged participants to use the meeting to learn from one another and take the information back to their communities, particularly rural women who are often disadvantaged by both poverty and lack of knowledge of their legal rights.
The DO stressed that, under the law, both men and women have the right to own land and that customary practices cannot override legal provisions.
He also highlighted the importance of obtaining a land certificate, noting that a sales agreement alone does not constitute formal proof of ownership.
The Divisional Officer warned prospective land buyers against purchasing property without first verifying its status with the relevant land services. He identified disputed family land, unregistered national land and environmentally or administratively restricted areas among situations that can expose buyers to loss.
He particularly cautioned against acquiring land in marshy or flood prone areas and on hills where construction and formal land certification may not be possible.
Austin Sakah further explained that the land certification process can be completed within six months in appropriate cases, provided applicants follow the prescribed procedure and there are no complications, such as objections or difficulties locating neighbours during the required land inspection.
He urged women and community members to approach technical services directly rather than relying unnecessarily on intermediaries who may add costs to the process.
On inheritance, the DO said women also have legal rights to inherit family and marital property and advised widows facing disputes over their deceased husbands’ property to seek legal assistance and, where necessary, obtain letters of administration.
He also invited women interested in land governance to attend sessions of the Bamenda III Land Consultative Board as observers.
He said such participation would allow women to understand how land disputes are handled and learn how decisions concerning land are reached.
The panel also brought traditional perspectives into the discussion.
Yerima Hamidu Sabga, representing the Lamido of Sabga, highlighted longstanding tensions between farmers and graziers over land and the difficulties surrounding the formalisation of grazing land.
He called for greater consultation with traditional authorities, Ardos and other community leaders before land is surveyed and registered, particularly where customary or communal interests are involved.
Yerima also acknowledged the financial difficulties faced by some people seeking to formalise land rights and welcomed the clarification from land administration officials that the process can be undertaken step by step rather than requiring applicants to pay all costs at once.
The panel also examined the position of Mbororo communities, whose predominantly pastoralist livelihoods create particular challenges around land security, grazing areas and mobility.
A representative of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Makane Charity, said Mbororo people form part of the populations targeted by MINAS interventions and encouraged organised groups to maintain updated legal registration and activity records to improve their access to government supported programmes.
She also identified mobility as a major challenge for Mbororo communities seeking secure access to land.
She encouraged pastoralist families to consider maintaining a permanent place of residence even where their livelihood requires seasonal movement, arguing that greater settlement could improve their ability to secure access to land and basic services.
The discussion ultimately returned to the central challenge identified by CAEPA that legal recognition alone is insufficient if women lack the information, financial capacity, institutional support and community acceptance required to exercise their rights.
According to the Coordinator of CAEPA Fenwi Linda, participants are expected to translate the discussions into recommendations and an action plan aimed at strengthening the participation of women in land governance, improving access to land documentation and increasing engagement between women’s groups, traditional authorities, councils and land administration services.
“Today’s meeting has confirmed that the challenge is not simply that women do not have rights to land. The bigger challenge is that many women, particularly Mbororo and rural women, still face barriers that prevent them from exercising those rights." she said
We have heard from government representatives, traditional authorities, legal experts and women themselves. We have also seen from the survey findings that there is a significant gap between knowledge of women’s land rights and actual ownership, control and participation in land related decisions." She added
For Mbororo women in particular, the intended impact is greater security over land, stronger participation in decisions affecting their livelihoods and a clearer pathway from legal rights to practical ownership and control.
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Web
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