[ad_1]
Bora is a thank you gift and a respectful custom in Sierra Leone, often used in relation to land. For example, informal farmers pay Bora to landowners to be able to cultivate their land.
But over the years, the bora system has changed in a way that has negatively impacted women, who are responsible for much of the West African country’s agricultural production. In Sierra Leone, land ownership (and the right to use it for agriculture) is held by men.
Women’s access to land for sustainable livelihoods is PhD Topics By land rights scholar Bankolay Theodore Turay. We asked him about his research.
Agriculture is backbone Sierra Leone Economy, Employment More than 60% Population and contribution Nearly half Gross domestic product (GDP).
Women play a vital role in this field. They make up About 70% The agricultural workforce, whose main duties are to grow crops, harvest and process agricultural products, is vital to national food security and economic growth.
Many women are the main income earners for their families, using agricultural income to meet education, health care and other household needs.
My research was conducted over a three-year period in five peri-urban communities in Sierra Leone and involved in-depth interviews with 120 women.
I discovered that women face challenges that limit their agricultural potential.
The first challenge is that deep-rooted customs and patriarchal traditions limit their access to and control over land.
From inheritance laws that favour male heirs to customary practices and laws that give male heads of household land management rights, these practices continue to influence land ownership patterns, often to the disadvantage of women.
The country has a written constitution that guarantees equal rights to all citizens, including women. But this is often not the case in reality. Customary law is deeply embedded in the social fabric of Sierra Leone, especially in less urbanized areas. It governs many aspects of life, including land tenure, marriage, inheritance and dispute resolution. Women’s rights, especially land rights, are often violated.
The second challenge is women’s limited access to agricultural inputs, including seeds, fertilizers, energy, pesticides, veterinary drugs and equipment. Policymakers and managers often still view men as farmers, with women playing a “supporting role” as farmers’ wives. Agricultural extension services still place little emphasis on reaching women farmers or women on farms.
Third, women have difficulty getting credit or loans that could be used to grow or support their businesses. If a woman does not own or control the land she cultivates, she cannot use it as collateral for a loan.
Fourth, women do not have the necessary certification to engage in international agricultural trade. This is due to financial constraints and the bureaucratic procedures involved in obtaining a trading license. As a result, women are often limited to domestic markets.
One way women gain access to land is through the traditional practice of bora, which requires women to cultivate land allocated to them by their husbands or male relatives, often on a temporary basis.
While bora provides a degree of land access, it does not guarantee ownership or long-term security.
Bora is a traditional method of payment deeply rooted in the culture of the ethnic groups in Northwest Sierra Leone.
Traditionally, people without ancestral land rights, such as women from landless families, would offer symbolic gifts such as rice or chickens to grow food on someone else’s land. This practice gradually evolved into annual payments.
Originally, bora was agricultural produce, but cash payments have become more common. The amount depends on the size of the land and market conditions.
The person offering the paola publicly acknowledges ownership of the land and its right to use it before the chief or elders. This will discourage others from making competing claims to the land.
The practice of bora emerged as a central topic during interviews with women farmers. Respondents frequently used bora to gain access to land, highlighting the importance of bora in their lives and livelihoods.
My research shows that Bola hinders women’s access to land and exacerbates gender inequality in this part of Sierra Leone.
For example, in one region, more than 40 percent of women reported being denied access to land because they could not afford to pay land-use fees.
The practice also makes them vulnerable to exploitation, including sexual bribery, to gain access to land.
The economic impact on women is severe. Without land, they have limited opportunities to produce food and generate income. In the Mabolleh community, women farmers who own land earn 70 percent more than those who do not.
Furthermore, the land-ownership system reinforces patriarchal power structures. When women lack secure land rights, their voices are not heard in community affairs. Because they are financially dependent on others and have limited autonomy within the household, they are more vulnerable to domestic violence. Without power, they have fewer options to escape or challenge their situation.
The system supported by Bora has disadvantaged women and deprived them of their basic rights.
Governments, other policymakers and local traditional authorities must take steps to:
Policymakers and development practitioners must move away from short-term monetization strategies that capture the real estate value of customary lands or strengthen local government finances. Instead, they should focus on long-term solutions that empower women to become true landowners and managers.
Land tenure laws that recognize and protect women’s land rights must be developed and enforced. This includes customary laws. Reconciling customary laws with constitutional provisions on gender equality is critical.
Women’s rights must be enhanced through awareness-raising campaigns to help them understand their rights and claim their land.
Women must be encouraged to participate in community decision-making processes. This can lead to more gender-sensitive policies and practices.
Women should be supported in establishing cooperatives and provided with collective bargaining rights, access to markets and financial resources.
Exploring alternative land tenure arrangements could provide women with more equal access to land – for example, land leasing systems from families that own the land.
Women can form groups and lease land collectively.
[ad_2]
Source link
