Women's land rights
“Give Her the Field”: How Custom is Securing Women’s Land in Cameroon

In Sèppè, a small coastal village in Cameroon, change is quietly, but powerfully, taking root. For generations, women here have been the pillars of their families and communities, working and cultivating land that they have not historically had the benefit of owning. Thanks to the work of a powerful network of women, the tide is now turning.  

Should Ongoing Land Deals in the Congo Basin be Criminalized?

Africa is currently experiencing what can be called its “third great land transformation.” This follows the first one inaugurated by colonial powers, and a second one launched by postcolonial states for developmental and infrastructural purposes. The 21st century wave of land grabs, which has exploded in recent years, constitutes the third.

There is a real need for community forestry to contribute to reducing emissions while securing immediate community benefits such as livelihoods diversification, climate change adaptation, and employment. These benefits can only become a reality if community tenure, and not simply access and benefits, is secured.

An environmentalist heavily sentenced in Cameroon
An environmentalist heavily sentenced in Cameroon

Mr. Nasako Besingi, Director of the NGO Struggle to Economize our Future Environment (SEFE) was sentenced today by a court in Mundemba in the South…

What Do Land Rights Mean to Women in Africa?

We asked women from across Africa what secure land rights mean for them, their communities, and their countries. Here’s what they had to say:

The award recognizes actors from Cameroonian society who have made significant contributions to environmental protection and the improvement of local livelihoods. In this case, it acknowledged the Coalition’s efforts to inform and influence Cameroon’s land reform process and forthcoming land legislation in favor of communities.

Foreign Policy: When Wall Street Went to Africa
Foreign Policy: When Wall Street Went to Africa

As seen on Foreign Policy TALANGAYE, Cameroon — At the main gate of the Herakles Farms plantation, a large billboard reads, “Contributing to a sustainable future for…

Reuters: Cameroon readies new law to strengthen forest governance

BUEA, Cameroon (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Cameroon’s government is due to introduce legal reforms by the end of the year to redress weaknesses in its two-decade-old forestry legislation. The new forest code will better protect rainforests and the rights of indigenous communities that rely on them, officials say.

Quarterly Update 2013.4
Quarterly Update 2013.4

2013 saw a lot of serious progress in forest tenure reform: legal judgments that upheld the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities; successful local…