Shea Network Ghana Stakeholders Meeting Organized in Navrongo -UE

 A baseline survey conducted by the Shea Network Ghana (SNG) has   attributed the difficulty of   many women in the sharenut sector   having access to share parklands to some negative cultural practices. 

The survey findings which was disseminated  at a day’s  multi-stakeholder forum  organized by the SNG in the  Navrongo Municipality of the Upper East Region on Wednesday   also revealed  lack of capital  on the part of the  women  hinders  their ability to purchase and own land.

“Rural women are still having challenges on ownership of lands especially Shea parklands to improve their situation in the Shea business. 

In spite of the fact that  the Shea is picked on the wilds,  traditional authorities still  supervised and own these lands preventing  women of  having  access to Shea parklands”, it indicated. 

The survey also cited the patriarchal kind of land ownership, the absence of women’s participation in decision making especially when it comes to land rights among others as some of the major challenges confronting majority of women in the sector. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana during the stakeholders forum, the Project Officer of SNG, Ms Dauda Hajiah Khadijah , explained that  SNG is a multi-stakeholder organization based in Tamale that  works  with private and individual members who have interest in the shea value chain across the three northern regions.  

She explained further that the aim of the network is to promote sustainable Shea business in Ghana. and to whip up the interest of its members in the Shea industry to improve and expand their business.

She said SNG only coordinates the activities of producer groups, co-operatives, butter processes, market aggregators, and cosmetics producers, research institutions and consultants who have interest in the promotion of the Shea business. 

The Project Officer who   called on traditional authorities to allow women to own parklands to improve upon their livelihoods said women played major roles when it comes to the maintenance of the homes and when supported could do more. 

A participant from the Forestry commission, Mr. Isaac Adom Donfer, stated that the Forestry Commission was collaborating with SNG to ensure that the planting of trees especially the shea trees in addition to the existing ones in the northern parts of the country were maintained and protected. 

He said it was against the Forestry Commission laws for anyone to fell a tree indiscriminately without the permission of the Commission and warned that such culprits when caught would be dealt with. 

Among the key stakeholders at the forum included traditional rulers, the Forestry Commission, women groups in the sheanut industry and the youth.