In Cameroon, women are the driving force behind economic development, but their role is underestimated. They represent 50 percent of Cameroon’s population and produce more than 80 percent of the country’s food. Yet, their access to resources, particularly land ownership, remains limited. Only 8 percent of women have access to land. Despite existing national laws guaranteeing equal rights, customary practices often prevent women from inheriting or owning land. Consequently, many lack secure land rights. This situation limits their ability to invest, access credit, and improve agricultural productivity, thereby hindering economic growth. This situation can be addressed by the government implementing tax incentives for women landowners, simplifying and decentralizing land registration procedures, and strengthening women’s legal awareness and economic networks.
Women’s limited access to land ownership has significant economic consequences. Land is the primary form of security in rural areas. However, without secure land titles, women struggle to obtain bank loans. This limits their ability to engage in economic activities and significantly reduces their livelihoods and their contribution to their country’s development. The World Bank estimates that reducing gender inequality in agriculture could increase agricultural productivity by 20-30 percent in some developing countries. In Cameroon, where agriculture accounts for approximately 17 percent of the gross domestic product and employs nearly 43 percent of the workforce, women’s exclusion from land ownership significantly diminishes the country’s economic potential.
One of the major obstacles to women’s access to land ownership in Cameroon is the government’s lack of economic incentives to encourage land registration and productive use. To address this, the government should promote women’s land ownership by implementing targeted tax incentives. Women who hold formal land titles and use their land for productive activities such as agriculture, food processing, or rural entrepreneurship would benefit from tax reductions, investment subsidies, or preferential credit mechanisms. By reducing the costs associated with land ownership and productive investment, these measures would facilitate the formalization of women’s land rights and the development of economic activities.
To implement this policy, the government should create a national program offering tax credits to women who formally register their land and invest in productive projects. Particular attention could be paid to rural areas where the rate of female land ownership is especially low. Furthermore, a transparent beneficiary registry would enable monitoring and evaluation of the program. These incentives would encourage women to secure their land titles, facilitate their access to financing, and stimulate agricultural and entrepreneurial investment.
In Cameroon, obtaining a land title is costly, lengthy, and administratively complex. The process involves several institutions and numerous bureaucratic steps, which makes securing land tenure difficult, especially in rural areas and for women.
To facilitate ease of obtaining a land title, it is important to simplify the procedures. The government should streamline the administrative process and digitize the land registration system to reduce transaction costs and administrative delays. Furthermore, land services should be decentralized to the local level to prevent rural women from having to travel long distances to register their land.
Rwanda’s experience illustrates the effectiveness of such reforms. Through the Land Tenure Regularisation Program, the Rwandan government simplified land registration procedures and introduced a digital land management system. Between 2008 and 2013, more than 10 million plots were registered. This significantly improved land tenure security, reduced conflicts, and facilitated women’s access to land ownership. Cameroon would benefit from adopting a similar approach to reduce costs, secure land tenure, and facilitate access to property for all.
Improving women’s access to land ownership requires that women better understand their rights. Many women, particularly in rural areas, are unaware of their rights or face social pressures that prevent them from claiming them. This can be achieved by strengthening public awareness campaigns on women’s land rights. Community workshops, support from civil society organizations, women’s cooperatives, and participation in agricultural associations can strengthen these efforts. Women who are part of such networks are more likely to own land. These measures create a supportive environment where women can claim, secure, and protect their land rights, contributing to their economic empowerment and greater participation in local development.
Securing land ownership for women in Cameroon is essential to boosting the rural and national economy. With targeted reforms, the country can unlock women’s productive potential and strengthen their contribution to economic development.
Haiwang Djamo Ferdinang is a writing fellow at African Liberty.
TheCable is a co-publisher of this article.
Image by Natalia Hua via Unsplash.
