Mbamois women and land tenure: a study of the actors in the Mbam-And-Inoubou Division (Centre, Cameroon)

Context and background In rural regions, a striking reality emerges : many women, trapped in an overwhelming financial dependency, are engaged in fierce battles to secure a tiny plot of land where they can carry out their essential activities (agriculture). However, land—an object of intense desire—requires the involvement of numerous land actors. Confronted with this complex mosaic of land practices, each actor, aware of the marginalization of women in this crucial area, deploys bold strategies aimed at ensuring that women have land rights equivalent to those of men. Goal and Objectives: The aim of this research is to present the role of various actors in the process of women’s access to land and their rationales in the fight for respect for women’s land rights. Methodology: Surveys were conducted with 319 randomly selected women from the Mbam and Inoubou Division. These surveys were complemented by direct field observations and in-depth individual interviews with local actors involved in land management. Results: This study reveals that there is an abundance of actors on both international and national levels advocating for women and land, even though certain texts do not apply on the ground. Keywords: Women, Land, Land rights, Land actors, Agriculture