Gendering Farmers-Herders Crisis in West Africa: A Study of Human Security in Nigeria and Ghana
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Date
2024-12
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Lead City University, Ibadan
Abstract
The farmers-herders crisis in West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Nigeria, has been primarily analyzed through economic, environmental, and security lenses. However, a gendered perspective reveals the unique vulnerabilities and roles of women in these conflicts. This study explores gendering farmers-herders crisis in West Africa, with a narrowed scope on Human Security in Nigeria and Ghana. The farmers- herders’ crisis in Nigeria and Ghana has brought about the loss of lives and has contributed to deepening gender-based violence in Nigeria and Ghana, therefore an understanding of the differentiated impacts of the crisis remains significant. While the main aim of this research is the exploration of gender dimension of the farmers- herders’ crisis in relation to the human security in Nigeria and Ghana, the study adopted the descriptive research design as well as primary and secondary method of data collection and subsequently analysed via descriptive method of Analysis. Similarly the research adopted the relative deprivation theory and eco-violence theory for the study. The study finds that the root causes of the farmers-herders’ crisis in Ghana and Nigeria are similar and the factors such as climate-induced migration which has seen the influx of Fulani herders from the northern regions of both countries to the southern regions in search of pasture of their cattle. The study concludes that gender dynamics intensify the human security impacts of the farmers-herders crisis in Ghana and Nigeria. The study recommends that government of both countries should adopt a more proactive stance towards the problem such as instituting a working stakeholder’s forum where
both farmers and herders are able to effectively communicate the challenges they both face and come to a compromise on some of the challenging issues. This has been aptly captured as social capital.
Keywords: Crises, Gender, Farmer, Herders, Human Security, West Africa
Word Count: 287
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Keywords
Crises, Gender, Farmer, Herders, Human Security, West Africa
Citation
Kate Turabia