Land and natural resource governance is a unique sector, especially in Ghana. Because of its uniqueness, addressing challenges and mending the gaps in land, property and natural resource rights require unique strategies. Consequently, mainstreaming women’s land, property and natural rights issues into the broad gender focused policies such as the Affirmative Action and Gender Equity Act and strategies, do not allow for a dedicated attention to the specific challenges in the sector.

About 36% of women in Ghana are employed in agriculture. Women’s access to land for agricultural activities remains a challenge, especially at the customary level. 

The specific challenges for women in the land and natural resource sector in Ghana include;

1.        Limited access to land for productive economic activities, especially smallholder farming. Access is limited because of several factors, including rules around acquisition.

2.        Limited recognition and respect of women’s land and natural resource rights. 

3.        Land rights registration and documentation have been accepted widely as a means for securing land rights. Yet, in Ghana, the institutional arrangements for documenting and registering land rights do not cover registration for the type of land rights that smallholder women are able to access.

4.        Should they function properly, the local customary arbitration systems for land dispute resolution would have been an accessible mechanism for grievance redress for women. Unfortunately, the existing customary arbitration systems do not function well. Those that are functional have remained patriarchal and inaccessible for women. 

5.        Article 267(6) of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana outlines the framework for sharing of revenue collected from commercial investments on customary lands. 25% of such revenue goes to the Paramount Chief, 20% goes to the Traditional Council and 55% goes to the District Assembly. Even though Queen mothers are also traditional leaders and go through the same process of enstoolment and gazetting as required by law, they are not included in this benefit sharing framework.

COLANDEF’s advocacy over the years has brought attention to these and many other issues.  Based on the advocacy, the new Land Act which was passed in 2020, contains some progressive provisions which if implemented, would address some of the women’s land rights challenges. A coordinated, collaborative and sustained attention is required to lift these progressive provisions from the law to implementation.

Unfortunately, not many stakeholders are aware of the new Land Act, its provisions and opportunities it presents.

The national forum on the status of women’s land, property and natural resource rights which will be held under the theme, “ Accelerating Action for Advancing  Land, Property and Natural Resource Rights for all Women,” is therefore seeking to;

1.Raise awareness on the women’s land rights challenges and draw attention to the opportunities the new Land Act presents for improving the status of women’s land and natural resource rights in Ghana.

2.Establish a multi-stakeholder commitment for joint action, tracking and monitoring the implementation of the Land Act.

3.Establish the foundations for a national movement for sustained women’s land rights advocacy.

Activities

1.Women’s Land Rights Clinic: this will be held on 18th March 2025. We will have land professionals from both the private sector and the public sector provide free advisory services to the ordinary Ghana, especially, women.

2.National Forum: this will be held on 19th March 2025. It will be a one-day in-person convening of stakeholders such as traditional leaders, policy actors, professional bodies, farmer cooperatives, private sector actors, CSOs, NGOs and development partners. The focus of the day will be to examine the realities about the status of women’s land, property and natural resource rights, build consensus on strategies for improvements and indicators for tracking improvements. The forum will produce the modalities for joint action, joint monitoring and reports for consideration in the next annual convening. 

3.Webinar: this will be a virtual convening involving global partners for sharing lessons and best practices for promoting women’s land, property and natural resource rights.