In a significant step towards promoting gender equity and rural transformation, IDEAS Ghana, an NGO focused on community development, has spearheaded an initiative in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region aimed at enhancing women’s access to land for agricultural purposes. The project, which has received support from Africa Action, Germany, is a milestone in the effort to secure land rights for women, who make up a significant portion of the agricultural labour force in Ghana.
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A Collaborative Commitment to Change
The initiative brought together traditional leaders, assembly members, and community stakeholders from 11 communities to formally commit, in writing, to allocating fertile land for women’s use in climate-smart farming. This collaboration was the result of extensive community engagement, including dialogue sessions held in May this year in communities such as Kpalsako, Farig, Kamenga, Gbere, Tarikom, Kabore, Bugoure, Goosise, Azupopunga, Widnaba, and Komaka.
Addressing the Gender Land Ownership Gap
Dr. Joseph Ayembilla, Executive Director of IDEAS Ghana, noted during the engagement at Zebilla that women constitute nearly 70% of Ghana’s agricultural labour force but own less than 10% of the land. In subsistence-farming areas like Bawku West, this imbalance has perpetuated cycles of poverty and deprivation. Dr. Ayembilla emphasised that land is not only a means of production but also a vital source of security, identity, and resilience, especially for women in rural communities.
Overcoming Structural Barriers to Land Access
For years, women in the district have faced significant structural barriers to land access due to cultural norms, inheritance rules, and discriminatory land tenure systems. The new initiative is a direct intervention aimed at changing both mindsets and policies at the community level, making land access for women a reality.
Women’s Testimonies Spark Change
“These discussions are not just ceremonial,” Dr. Ayembilla stated. “They are platforms for truth, empathy, and action.” Women shared their struggles, from renting small, unproductive lands to relying on male relatives for access to land. These real-life testimonies had a profound impact, sparking the necessary change in the views of community leaders on land access.
Shifting Traditional Norms
Though traditional leaders expressed concerns about the limitations of the existing land tenure system, they also acknowledged that excluding women from decision-making over land use was no longer acceptable. Motivated by the initiative and the women’s experiences, the community chiefs and elders agreed to break traditional norms, endorsing the allocation of specific plots of land to women for long-term use.
Binding Commitments for Long-Term Change
The resolutions made during these discussions are now binding commitments at the community level, setting a precedent for locally driven land reforms. These resolutions serve as a powerful example of the progress that can be achieved when communities come together for change. As Chief Naba Mark Abuguraug Awingura of Gbere stated, “We cannot develop if more than half of our farmers, our women, are denied access to productive land. If women thrive, the whole community thrives.”
Laying the Foundation for Inclusive Land Governance
The initiative to secure land for women builds upon an earlier workshop held in 2024, which focused on inclusive land governance and sustainable agricultural practices. IDEAS Ghana used this foundation to expand its advocacy efforts, encouraging the community to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices as part of a shared development goal.
Land as a Developmental Right
IDEAS Ghana reiterated that access to land must be viewed as a developmental right, rather than a charitable gesture. Recognising women as rightful land users is essential for unlocking the economic potential of rural communities. The initiative marks a significant shift in how land access is viewed. It is a decisive step towards ensuring gender equity in rural development.
