E ISSN: 2583-049X
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International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies

Volume 3, Issue 3, 2023

Investigating the Challenges of Women Land Rights in Suakoko District, Bong County: A Case Study in Sinyea and Suakoko Townships



Author(s): Alex Dortie Kolleh, Joseph Kollie, Washington Toe-Willie

Abstract:

The Customary systems of Land tenure in Liberia which account for about 70 percent of the land is discriminative against gender equality, women sustainable development, pro-poor growth, alleviation of hunger in Liberia, and conditions for better future for Liberians. Recently, investigating the right to Land ownership has focused on male participation (Ownership), leaving the right to ownership by females in the region. Land plays an integral part of Agriculture crops production but also hinder crop production in the country on the basis of ownership. Because this, a research was conducted to investigate the challenges of Women Land rights in Suakoko District, with a case study in Sinyea and Suakoko communities in Bong County, Liberia. The study adopted a descriptive survey design, which also afforded the study the opportunity to use uncomplicated numerical methods to present data in an accurate approach, thus supporting the endeavor to obtain responses to the research inquiry. The collected data was arranged in excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and frequencies. Chi-square was also used to determine the relationship between the observed and the predicted values. The statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS 25. Results from the analyzed data shows that; 39.3% of those said yes cited family law, 29.5% said the death of their husbands was the reason for their being denied the right to own the inherited land, 16.4% of them cited death of parents, 8.2% cited property right, 4.9% cited divorce as the reason, while 1.6% cited land inheritance law (Table 2), while Table 1. Present the demographic of the respondents. (Table 4.3), shows that the minimum expected cell frequency was 14 or 66.7%. This shows that one of the conditions of chi square, related to the minimum expected cell frequency was met. Figure 1. Also shows the percentages of challenges that prevent respondents from having equal rights with men over inherited land ownership. 65% of the respondents say the legislative laws prevent them, 21% blame it on tradition, 10% say it is their religion that prevents them, while 4% admit that it is their own beliefs.

To conclude, even though the women in Suakoko District have indicated their beliefs that the legislative law is most responsible for their denial to inherited land right. This seems to have come from wrongly filling out the questionnaire. However, this cause was closely followed by the belief that tradition is the primary cause. The women also believe that the primary factor responsible for the unequal land ownership right with men is traced to family laws, where the family decides to grant ownership to a member of the family, who is more often than not a male.


Keywords: Customary Systems, Land Tenure, Sinyea, Suakoko

Pages: 403-408

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