Analysis of the Influence of Patriarchal Norms on Women’s Land Rights in Ebonyi State

Women's access to and control over land in sub-Saharan Africa is profoundly shaped by patriarchal customary norms that override formal legal protections in practice. This study analyses the influence of patriarchal cultural norms on women's land rights in Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria. A descriptive qualitative-quantitative mixed design was adopted, with structured questionnaires administered to 220 rural women and focus group discussions conducted with 48 community members across Abakaliki, Izzi, and Ohaukwu Local Government Areas. Data were analysed using frequency distributions, chi-square tests, and thematic content analysis. Findings reveal that 82% of female respondents have no independent land ownership rights, with access mediated entirely through husbands or male relatives. Widows and divorced women face disproportionate dispossession, frequently losing cultivated land immediately upon marriage dissolution. Community gatekeepers including village heads, age-grade associations, and in-laws are identified as key enforcers of patrilineal land norms. The Land Use Act's gender-neutral provisions are found to provide little practical protection in rural Ebonyi communities due to limited legal awareness and prohibitive access to courts. Recommendations include community legal literacy programmes targeting customary land tenure, engagement of traditional rulers in gender-inclusive land governance, and strengthening of women's property rights under state law. Keywords: land rights, patriarchal norms, women, Ebonyi State, customary tenure