Cover -- Title page -- Copyright page -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Foreword -- Summary -- Chapter One - Introduction to Land and Rural Women in Cameroon -- Introduction -- The Rural Woman in Cameroon -- Women and Land in Agricultural Improvement and Socio-Economic Stability -- Women and Land in Natural Resource and Holistic Environmental Management -- Women and Water-related Issues -- Cameroonian Rural Women and Forest Resource Exploitation -- Rural Women Functionality within the Cameroonian Process of Decentralization -- Conclusion -- References -- Chapter Two - Equal Rights but Unequal Power over Land: Rethinking the Process of Engendering Land Ownership and Management in Cameroon -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Contextualizing Issues of Rights and Women's Empowerment -- Rethinking of Women' Land Rights -- Gender dynamics and use of land -- Why this Gender Discrimination in Land Ownership -- Customary Laws in Cameroon -- The Ineffectiveness of Statutory Provisions -- Limitations of Legal Enforcement of Women's Land rights in Cameroon -- The Basis for Engendering Land Reforms in Cameroon -- Opportunities for Land Reforms -- Conclusions -- Recommendations for Engendering the Process of Land Reforms in Cameroon -- References -- Chapter Three - Women's Inheritance Rights in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Sources of Law and Applicable Laws -- Courts with jurisdiction to hear probate matters -- Testate Succession (Testacy) -- Conditions necessary for a valid will -- Form and Contents of Wills -- The place of nuncupative wills post-obit gifts and gifts inter vivos -- Intestacy (Intestate Succession) -- The Surviving Spouse -- Inheritance rights of Married girls -- The position of children born out of wedlock -- Administration of Estates -- Distribution -- Devolution to the surviving spouse.

Revocation of grant of probate and letters -- Liabilities and penalties for administration of estates -- Conclusion -- Chapter Four - Exploring Women's Rights within the Cameroonian Legal System: Where do Customary Practices of Bride-Price Fit in? -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Customary Laws and Practices as a Hindrance to Women's Rights -- Bride-Price and the Validity of Marriage -- Bride-Price and Monogamy (and Bigamy) -- Bride-Price and the Dissolution of Marriage -- Bride-Price and Paternity -- Refund Of Bride-price -- Bride-price, women and property -- Conclusion -- Chapter Five - Women and Land Registration in Anglophone Cameroon: Lessons from South Africa -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Theoretical framework of the paper -- Social welfare Component of Land -- African World view on property rights -- Research Methodology -- Land and Registration: An Overview -- Registration as Instrument for Exclusion: South African Experience -- Conclusion -- Chapter Six - Mediating between Customs and Statutes in the Process of Land Registration and Enforcement of Women's Rights in Cameroon: The Role of the Administration -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Women and the Legal rights to own Land -- The Woman vis-à-vis Customary Land Ownership -- Women and Land Registration -- Owners of Deeds -- Persons in Possession of Temporary Grants -- Land Litigation -- The Role of the Administrative Authorities -- Challenges faced by Administration Authorities -- Conclusions and Recommendation -- References -- Chapter Seven - Land Reforms in South Africa and Uganda: Practices for Enhancing the Process in Cameroon -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Methodology -- The 1974 land reforms in Cameroon -- status of women and the underprivileged -- Women and land reforms in South Africa and Uganda -- Lessons of land reforms in South Africa and Uganda on women's land rights in Cameroon.

Conclusion -- Recommendations -- References -- Chapter Eight - Discrimination in Women's Property and Inheritance Rights in Cameroon: The Role of Human Rights NGOs in Promoting Gender Sensitive Land Reforms -- Abstract -- Introduction -- Research Problem -- Scope of the Study -- Methodology -- The security of the concept of women's property [land] rights within the Cameroon legal system(s) -- Gender and Accessibility to Land Ownership -- Women's Access to Land through Land Registration -- Women's Access to Land through Inheritance -- Women's Access to Land through Purchase -- Women's NGOs and Gender-balanced Land Reforms -- Past Strategies of Improving the Security of Women's Inheritance and Property Rights -- The Who? -- The What? -- The How? -- "The when?" -- Conclusion(s) -- Perspectives/Recommendation -- Notes on Contributors -- B ack cover.