Gender Dimensions of Roles and Implications of Plantation Agriculture: A Critical Look at Cameroon Development Cooperation (CDC) Debundscha Palm Estate Pre and Post-Anglophone Crisis
Kame Hannah Liengu Monono
*
Research and Consultancy Unit, National School of Local Administration (NASLA), Buea, Cameroon, Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63 Buea, Cameroon and Allaince for Green Africa Gender and Rural Development (AGAGRUD), Buea, Cameroon.
Violet Fokum
Department of Political Science, University of Bamenda, Cameroon.
Georges Dzou
Allaince for Green Africa Gender and Rural Development (AGAGRUD), Buea, Cameroon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Gender analysis of plantation agriculture is at an important point in history as more and more women continue to gain entry into plantation work. While governments view it as gender balanced and as an issue of equality in terms of employments, feminists are more concerned with the labour realities and job segregation that affects the status of workers especially female workers.
Aims: To examine the well-being and gender dynamics of workers at the Debundscha Palm plantation in Cameroon, focusing on changes before and after the Anglophone crisis
Study Design: This study used two Research Designs, Descriptive and investigative, because it is a mixed study.
Place: Situated at the foot of Mount Cameroon and facing the South Atlantic Ocean. The research focused in Njonge 2, Isongo, and Debundscha camps.
Methodology: Using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions, the study analyzes data quantitatively with SPSS and qualitatively. It employs frameworks such as the Harvard Analytical Framework, sex role socialization, and Human Capital Theory to explore the low-paid positions predominantly held by women and how the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) values workers' skills for sustainable development.
Results: The findings indicate a pronounced gender-based division of labor, with men in higher-paying positions and women in lower-paid roles. The Anglophone crisis affected all workers, resulting in irregular pay, health issues, and heightened risks of crime and prostitution. Social challenges included inadequate healthcare. Women faced additional discrimination in education and training compared to men.
Conclusion: Overall, the study underscores the complex interplay of gender and well-being in a labor context marked by crisis, revealing persistent inequalities between gender and labor conditions. The findings emphasize the need for greater attention to gender equity and resource allocation to enhance living and working conditions for all plantation workers.
Keywords: Gender dimensions, plantation agriculture, Cameroon development cooperation, debundscha palm estate, anglophone crisis