Research Findings by Mrs. D’Almeida
Madam Ralphina Phillot Almeida, a senior lecturer in the University of The Gambia, on Wednesday, 21 October, presented her research on land tenure system in the Gambia and women empowerment at a lecture at the Paradise Suites Hotel.

The research was funded by the World Bank, through the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education meant for the University of the Gambia.
In presenting her findings, Mrs. Almeida said the main objective of the research was to generate fresh data to fill the gender gap on the status, situation representation, performance and needs of rural Gambian women. She added that the research was also meant to elicit emergent gendered land-related issues for deepened insights and to influence and redress imbalances related to the gender empowerment. Mrs. Almeida said that land is generally a vexed question which generates socio-political contestation universally, often resulting in blood-shed. She noted that land is a pre-requisite enabling asset for social, political, economic gendered empower and as a symbol of citizenship, identity rights and freedoms. She indicated that there is need for sensitisation of women to know their rights on land issues as the Constitution of the Gambia provides for equal ownership of land by both men and women.
Madam Almeida stated that women have access to land usage in The Gambia but not ownership and control, as ownership of land is usually based on membership in a clan through common descent by inheritance, communal holding and individual inheritance from their mothers for vegetable cultivation. She further said that land allocation for women should be look at a different level to improve the situation of land ownership as women lack land related livelihood resources.
The UTG lecturer added that women also lack the appropriate technology, irrigation facilities and their low level of participation in decision making, hence the need to allocate land to women to expand the economic and commercial activities for them to be empowered economically.
Madam Almeida echoed that women also lack access to soft loans and micro credit which are of benefit to them. She urged the Ministry of Agriculture to introduce agricultural banking system where women farmers can get access to loans and improve on their farming.
According to Madam Almeida, without women given the opportunity and access to own land there will not be household food sufficiency and sustainability as women will not have land to cultivate for economic purposes. She said there is need for women to graduate from small holder farming system to commercial production and move forward the national debate on land ownership and food self sufficiency to a new paradigm.
Mrs. Almeida added that affirmative action should be taken by the state to give land to women based on ownership and full empowerment of women farmers to make their voices heard for good.
She noted that rural women should be involve in decision making and their full and holistic participation in decision making and development should be considered.
Speaking earlier on, the Vice Chancellor of the University of The Gambia, Professor Muhammadou Kah, said that the University is interested in the plight and basic research that will add value to the lives of the common people. Vice Chancellor Kah said that the University supports and look at research that has context and can inform individuals in decision and policy making. He added that UTG is meant to create knowledge and that everybody should be an active participant in the production, dissemination and sharing of knowledge. Professor Kah said that if knowledge is not shared then it will not have no use to the people and that the topic of research is not only relevant to the Gambia but goes beyond the Gambia. He argued that land would have been much more productive and safer in the hands of women and that through research we can understand our cultural settings and structures which hinder women ownership to land. He said that the legal mechanism provides for women ownership of land but that to the normal villagers the legal system does not make any sense to them.
Professor Kah further challenged both the university lecturers and students to be engaged in research in order to make the University of the Gambia a world class university as research cannot be left out.
He also challenged the students to partner with the lecturers and do research and assured them of the university’s readiness and support for such initiatives.
He thanked Madam Almeida for her research work as well as the World Bank for the funding.
Other speakers were Madam Maria Dacosta of Department of Community Development, Mr. Abdourahman Jobe, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Manneh, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Lands and Dr. Momodou Jean, Coordinator of the Research Program at the University of the Gambia.