The influence of agricultural development initiatives on women's empowerment and their right of access to land in Burkina Faso: the case of the Bama plain

Context and background Women's empowerment and access to land are key issues in countries where agriculture plays a major role in the national economy. Goals and Objectives: This study assesses the influence of agricultural development initiatives on women's empowerment and their right of access to land in Burkina Faso: the case of the Bama plain. Methodology:  The present study uses data collected from 230 people in the rural commune of Bama, including 130 women and 100 men, using the simple random sampling method. Results: Descriptive statistics were used to process the information. Our findings show that women do not have easy access to land in the commune of Bama. Furthermore, the gender promotion policy implemented in Burkina Faso and the intervention of government projects and technical and financial partners have forced village communities to grant land use rights to women in order to carry out their activities. Comparative analysis of the effect of these interventions has shown that decision-making in the households of women who have benefited from the projects has improved compared to women who have not benefited from these projects. We recommend that politicians encourage the implementation of program projects in rural areas where women's empowerment is still a challenge.