The dynamics of access and exclusion of women to land resources. a case study of Tambakha Simibungie Chiefdom, North-west Province, Sierra Leone

Abstract

For poor women in rural areas, land is the most critical economic resource. It is essential to have policies that facilitate access to and effective control of land and other natural resources to achieve inclusive growth and eradicate poverty. It is the weaker variants of inequalities that stifle tenure security, reduce land use, and threaten food security for those who depend on the land. Women's access to land and land resources has been a contested right and is still a serious concern in many countries. A mixedmethod case study methodology involving questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions was used to collect data. The study find that women were not allowed to take part in any land-related decision-making process, women's access to land resources was determined by other structural mechanisms and factors such as capital, labour and social relations not solely related to their relationships with their male counterparts.