Women, Ownership and Access to Land in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Samuel Ziem Bonye, Rev. Alfred Kpieta

Abstract
Evidence shows that there are projects and programmes in place to address land issues holistically in Ghana and in so doing streamline land administration. But very little effort exists in allowing women to articulate their position in land matters. The marginalisation that has emerged out of the historical usurpation of women’s rights to land is what this study sort to investigate. Various methods were used to collect data. Prominently, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, confrontational dialogue and critical arena analysis were used to break barriers and mind-sets. The findings established that: women do not own land because they do not sacrifice to the land spirits - the requirement for owning land. However, women can have access to land in the following instances; women who come from a Tindana family (earth priests) have the right to own land; women who have livestock can use to exchange for a lease and can gain long-term access to land and where a male family head has only women in his line, some women might take over the indigenous male roles. The study recommends the need to strengthen dialogue between men and women on issues of land.

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