By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Nanton (N/R), Aug 20, GNA - Chiefs and family heads in the Nanton District of the Northern Region have committed to release farm land to women in the area to independently undertake agricultural activities for food and income generation.
They gave the commitment at a stakeholders’ workshop held at Nanton over the weekend to discuss women’s rights to access farm land in the district.
It was organizsed by the Northern Rural Women Development Association (NORWDA) as part of its advocacy action for women to have rights to access farm land in the district and the participants included; traditional authorities, assembly members and women groups in the district.
It is funded by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund), and their partners, United States Agency for International Development, European Union and Danida.
A recent research by NORWDA showed that women in the district do not have outright agricultural land ownership but can access land from their husbands or other family relations and this often result in their inability to acquire large sized land.
Chief Abubakari Abudu, Chief of Gbumgbu in the district, one of the chiefs at the workshop, who committed to release land to women, extolled the virtues of women saying they were hardworking and giving them land to cultivate would enhance productivity.
He said he would lead a campaign to sensitise land owners in the communities to release land to women to farm to support their families.
Madam Fati Mumuni, a maize Farmer at Nanton applauded the commitment of the chiefs and family elders to give land to women in the district to farm saying it would help to expand their operations.
Madam Mumuni said women in the district faced a lot of challenges when trying to access land for agricultural production adding since the death of her husband, she was restricted to an acre of land, which had been over-cultivated, leading to poor yields.
Mr Abukari Hathiramani, District Chief Executive of Nanton said the Assembly would enrol women onto various government initiatives such as; the Planting for Food and Jobs to enable them to expand their operations.
Meanwhile NORWDA has trained and sensitised some of its members and the public on advocacy to enhance women’s access to farmlands in the district.
A memorandum of understanding would soon be signed by various stakeholders in the district including chiefs and traditional rulers and duty bearers to allow women to have rights to access farmlands to independently cultivate.
NORWDA is a farmer-based organisation, which produces soybeans, maize and rice in the Nanton District with over 70 per cent of its members being women.
GNA
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS