Women landowners in Côte d’Ivoire: a matter of equal rights
According to official data from the Ivorian government, only 12% of women in Côte d’Ivoire own their land. A worrying reality that raises questions about equal rights between men and women in the field of land. To remedy this situation, the Support Project for Women’s Access to Land Ownership (AFPF) was set up in partnership with several Ivorian associations and with the support of USAID.
This project, launched in 2022 and planned until 2024, aims to raise women’s awareness of their land rights and resolve conflicts related to land ownership. The AFPF uses a mediation approach to find amicable solutions to disputes, before resorting to justice if necessary.
A success story testifies to the positive impact of this project. Marie Guei, a widow who was robbed by her in-laws after the death of her husband, was able to regain her land thanks to the intervention of the AFPF. After pleading her case during an awareness session, she recovered two hectares of rubber plantation in production, thus ensuring her right to property and her livelihood.
The problem of women’s access to land ownership in Côte d’Ivoire does not lie so much in the law, but in its application. Women are often excluded from decision-making in land governance, making them completely dependent on male family members. The project’s sociologist, Ghislain Coulibaly, points out that women are often reserved land for limited agricultural activities, such as the cultivation of peppers or vegetables, with no real possibility of passing on these assets to their descendants.
To remedy this situation, the AFPF has implemented several strategies. First of all, it is a question of sensitizing the traditional authorities on the principle of the equality of the land rights between men and women established by the Ivorian law. Then, it is important to promote the equitable sharing of land between all the children of a family, whether they are boys or girls, in order to prevent inheritance disputes. Finally, couples united by customary rites are also encouraged to marry officially in the prefecture, which guarantees some protection of the rights of widowed or divorced women in the event of a land dispute.
The AFPF project is still in its infancy, but the encouraging results give hope for national expansion in the years to come. By promoting women’s access to land ownership, this project contributes to the defense of their rights and the promotion of gender equality in Côte d’Ivoire. This is an important step to ensure the full participation of women in the economic and social development of the country