The Role of Women in the Farmer-Grazier Conflicts in Aghem 1972–2020

Abstract

Farmer-grazier conflicts remain an enigma between communities in the North West Region of Cameroon and the Aghem community in particular. It should be noted that the major agricultural activities in the region are cereal, tuber, and cattle rearing. This accounts for why crop farmers and cattle farmers are at loggerheads for space acquisition for either farming or cattle rearing. In the midst of these activities, the role of women is paramount as they are the principal actors, especially in the farming sector, and thus face the brunt from those of cattle rearing. In Aghem, the arrival of herdsmen in the 1920s posed a lot of challenges, especially to the women who were engaged in the cultivation of crops. As a consequence, they had to take action either through peace talks, protests, the killing of the cattle, and other forms of manifestation. The study used both primary and secondary sources explored and exploited to comprehensively analyse the facts. Also, the use of qualitative analysis was necessary to give a better understanding of the study. The study reveals that the influence of the administration, the problem of stray animals, and the increase in the population of cattle were responsible for the farmer-grazier conflict in Aghem, while women were the main actors in the process of resolving the conflicts.