Land rights of widows in the matrilineal system of inheritance the case of Badu Community in the Tain District

Abstract

This research was undertaken to examine how the matrilineal system of inheritance affects widows and children's access to land in the Badu community in the Tain District of the Bono Region. Badu was selected as a location because, it is one of the Districts in Ghana that practice matrilineal inheritance. The study adopted the qualitative research approach to obtain data from chiefs, elders, spouses and children with practical experience, knowledge and understanding of matrilineal system of inheritance. The study include use of purposeful sampling technique. Interviews were conducted as primary data collection instruments together with documents and online articles as the secondary data for the study. It emerged in the study that, matrilineal system of inheritance has effects on widows’ access to land in the Badu Community. It was revealed that access to shelter, farmlands, instances of inequality, injustice and gendered stereotypes and widows’ land rights, were some of the effects widows have to battle with. Also, statutory laws and the cultural compliance of land ownership in the Badu Community shows the inaccessibility of formal legal system, lack of information about the laws and dangers of lineage reprisal for violating customary laws. Human rights implications of land ownership in the matrilineal system of inheritance in Badu Community revealed violation of right to access and use of land and violation of the right to shelter as the major land rights challenges in the Badu Community.