Cameroon: Displaced women struggle to access land in Far North region

“Displaced populations have no choice other than to farm on marginal, poor quality land, without legal security or protection against forced evictions. Women in particular are stripped of their property and land by members of their own family, a common practice that must be tackled to ensure inclusive and equal opportunities for all,” said Elena Vicario, NRC’s Country Director in Cameroon.  

“Access to land is essential to ensure people can produce food for themselves and support their families. Alarmingly these rights are very often not respected, leaving people struggling. Both local and national authorities must act to protect the land rights of internally displaced persons and refugees, particularly women, and to ensure equitable land management.”  

Housing, land and property rights are drawn from international law and the right to adequate housing, and are what makes it possible for people to live on their land and use their property. A new assessment conducted by NRC in Cameroon’s Far North region found more than 50 per cent of people surveyed did not own or have access to housing, land and property. 

In the region, discriminatory customary laws give men more rights than women on housing, land and property issues. As a result, many women are forced to live in precarious settlements, such as with host families, temporary shelters for displaced people, lodgings donated by traditional leaders, or temporary camps.  

“If we had land, we could farm and be able to take care of our children. We wouldn't have to live on camp distributions. But without the land, you can't do all that,” said Rifkatou, a female refugee living in the Minawao refugee camp with her four children. 

In addition to this, displaced communities face a wide range of issues: limited access to arable land, destruction of crops, discrimination in rental prices, forced evictions, secondary occupation, allocation of land without ownership documents and poorly managed agro-pastoral conflicts that often leave them worse off. The lack of basic infrastructure, such as schools, health centers and water points further exacerbates the precarious situation of displaced communities, who are struggling to resettle. 

“NRC calls for immediate action by the local authorities to find lasting solutions to this land crisis, by creating a better protection framework related to rental arrangements. This will support the resolution of housing, land and property disputes and improve women's ability to enjoy their right to access land. It is crucial that the rights of displaced people are protected, and that concerted efforts are made to enable them to access arable land, rebuild their lives and regain dignity,” added Vicario. 

“International donors too must step up to support housing, land and property programmes. They should ensure such work is integrated into the humanitarian response, including through shelter, food security and livelihoods programmes, to prevent the risk of eviction and exploitation, and to strengthen the safety and resilience of those affected by the crisis.”  

Notes to editors: 

• The Far North region of Cameroon is home to 573,263 people who have been displaced by violence and natural disasters, including IDPs, and refugees from Nigeria (OCHA).
• In the Far North region, 73,400 people are estimated to be in need of housing land and property assistance, including 40,000 women (54 per cent) (OCHA).
• The assessment conducted by NRC surveyed 257 women and 25 men (a total of 282 households) in the three divisions of Mayo-Tsanaga, Logone-et-Chari and Mayo-Sava in the Far North region of Cameroon. 
  • 80 per cent of the participants interviewed were IDPs, 14 per cent refugees, 3 per cent members of the host community and 3 per cent returnees. 
  • Of those surveyed, 52 per cent said they did not own or have access to housing, land and property. 98 per cent of those who reported not owning or having access to housing, land and property were women. 
  • NRC full report on housing, land and property rights for displacement-affected women in the Far North region of Cameroon (French only) is available here.
  • NRC’s briefing note on the same issue is available here.
• In Cameroon, land titles are the only legal form of land ownership, but very few properties are officially registered or titled. The law guarantees that everyone can access land for use, even if they cannot legally own it, and it is the responsibility of authorities to ensure this right is upheld, particularly for those affected by displacement. Currently, most land is still managed informally through local tenure systems.
• Between January and September 2023, 70 per cent of housing, land and properly rights disputes involved women, most of who were displaced heads of household (OCHA).
• On going violence led to the destruction, burning, and looting of property including crops and livestock. 4 people affected by displacement in 10 have seen their houses destroyed and 78 per cent of households need support to access adequate housing (OCHA).
• In the Far North region, access to basic social services is disrupted by ongoing insecurity. The three divisions which border Nigeria (Logone-et-Chari, Mayo-Sava and Mayo-Tsanaga) have lower access to basic services than the other divisions. Overall, Logone-et-Chari is the division with the weakest access to services, including health, education, and markets. Lack and disruption of social services in many localities force people to walk long distances to access those few services available, creating additional risks related to arbitrary arrest as well as physical and sexual violence (OCHA).
• Photos and videos from the Far North region are available for use here. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: 

• NRC global media hotline: media@nrc.no , +47 905 62 329 
• In Dakar, Marion Guenard, Regional Media and Communications Adviser, marion.guenard@nrc.no , +221 77 834 20 22
• In Yaoundé, Patricia Pouhe, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator: pouhe.patricia@nrc.no , +237 696517207