WOMEN’S PROPERTY RELATIONS AFTER INTESTATE SUCCESSION PNDC LAW 111 IN GHANA

Abstract

The article analyses property relations among the Anlo and the Asante of Ghana. Due to discriminatory effects of the socio-cultural practices on women, government intervened with PNDC Law 111 in 1985. The approach of the study is mainly qualitative. The finding shows that, despite government’s legislative intervention, women’s rights and position in the studied societies have experienced little positive change in terms of inheritance from men. Although it may be possible to explain women’s inability to use PNDC Law 111 to claim their property rights on the basis of lack of: education, knowledge of law, rights-consciousness, financial resources, among others, the fact remains that women’s reluctance to assert rights, lies to a large extent, outside these variables. Women often are confronted by significant social pressure not to seek formal legal recourse and instead, resolve the cases domestically.

KEY WORDS: Inheritance, Property relation, Principles, Practices, PNDC Law.