The Influences of Gendered Customary Land Tenure System on Food Security in Nandom District, Ghana

Abstract

Food insecurity has been a major global development concern. Hence, SDG Two seeks to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. The situation is severe in sub-Saharan Africa, where customary practices deprive women of land ownership and limit their access rights. This paper explores the influences of a gendered land tenure system on food security in Nandom District, adapting conditional assessment modules defined by USDA and FAO. With a list of households categorized under headship, 30 respondents were proportionally selected from each of the four study communities. The results from the survey of 120 households show that female headed households experienced extreme and severe conditions of food insecurity while male and co-headed households experienced less, resulting from differences in land ownership and access rights. Further analysis of the situation underscores the need to promote equal ownership and access rights for all gender groups to fight food insecurity and poverty in Africa.