A forum on land ownership and management at Tokokoe near Ho on Tuesday turned into a battle of the sexes.

The female participants challenged the male dominated land ownership regime in the Volta Region and demanded fair treatment and access while most of the men argued in favour of the status quo.

The forum, under the auspices of the Volta Regional office of the Department of Women, was to sensitize the Community and its surrounding towns on land ownership and its management.

The women argued that they did not understand why men allocated land to themselves and sold them only to invite them to help them resolve problems arising from such transactions.

They contended that women formed a critical part of the family and must benefit from all family property including land.

The women also demanded that women who met the necessary requirements be made family heads and given equal opportunities for the good of society.

Togbe Korlikpo Tamekloe III, Paramount Chief of Avee, said no community was out to suppress women and argued that Ewes inherit through the father’s blood line but allowed temporary benefits to women.

He explained that the understanding was that children of married women must inherit their fathers.

Togbe Tamekloe said cases in which married women were given lands and other property to assist them in marriage often resulted in chieftaincy and land disputes.

Mr. Lawrence Blaise Kwame Alai, an opinion leader, said, “The problem is the fear of the women’s children coming back to claim family properties putting the patrilineal inheritance in jeopardy.”

Earlier, Mr. Gershon Kwame Tsrah, Volta Regional Director of Lands Commission said family lands are for all members of the family and urged family heads to allow women in the family to enjoy that right.

“No family or society is complete without women participation, so we have to allow them to enjoy whatever the family or society has,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of land registration and urged the participants to take advantage of the location of the Lands Commission in Ho to register their lands.

Togbe Ahorney Akliku II, Volta Regional Director of Environmental Protection Agency, underscored the need to manage land resources for sustainable growth.

Madam Lena Alai, Volta Regional Director of Department of Women, also called for judicious use of land.

She said a research conducted in 2008 revealed that women in the Region faced some level of discrimination in access to land use due to the patrilineal system of inheritance.

Madam Alai noted that though some women owned land through purchase, gift, marriage and inheritance, the percentage was very low.

She said land owners generally felt reluctant to enter into negotiations on land with “a single woman.”

Madam Alai said women’s access to land enhances their economic empowerment and called for the support of all.