Inequalities generally exist in society regarding the distribution of resources including land. This paper assessed inequalities of customary land rights and tenure security among smallholder farmers in northwest Ghana using the social structure theory. This exploratory study adopted focus group discussions, interviews of key informants and key persons in key institutions in the study area. It also used visual manual interpretation of satellite images. It found that male landowners possess the strongest land rights and highest tenure security. Male settlers were next in possessing strong land rights and high tenure security. While all women irrespective of whether they are from landowner or settler groups had the weakest land rights and tenure security. This deviates from the tenets of the social structure theory, which presupposes that women from the landowning group would have stronger rights than settlers (male or female). Fewer building development and vast uncultivated lands revealed by the satellite images, partly contradicts literature suggesting that physical developments cause land scarcity, which may lead to land rights inequalities. This research agrees with literature and concludes that population growth, urbanisation and particularly the anticipation of future land prospects primarily influences current land rights inequalities and tenure insecurity in the area. The findings from this research are useful for identifying this context-based land rights and tenure variations. The research also shows the nature and extent of the variations and therefore gives indications regarding how, who and which land rights need to be strengthened. Besides, this study shows that local communities can be assisted by community leaders and community-based organisations to re-sensitise themselves to protect particularly, the land rights of the vulnerable in society. The study also reveals an essential community potential i.e. their readiness to cooperate with efforts (whether local or external), towards narrowing land rights variations that further marginalises the already marginalised women and male settlers. The paper recommends further studies to identify specific ways to address land rights variations and ensure tenure security among different groups.

社会上普遍存在着包括土地在内的资源分配不平等问题。本文利用社会结构理论评估了加纳西北部小农户的习惯土地权和土地使用权保障的不平等。这项探索性研究采用了焦点小组讨论，对关键知情人和研究领域关键机构中关键人物的访谈。它还使用了对卫星图像的视觉手动解释。研究发现，男性土地所有者拥有最强的土地权和最高的土地使用权保障。其次是男性定居者，他们拥有强大的土地权和高保有权保障。尽管所有妇女，无论她们是来自土地所有者还是定居者群体，其土地权利和权属保障都最薄弱。这偏离了社会结构理论的宗旨，前提是地主群体中的妇女比定居者（男性或女性）拥有更强大的权利。卫星图像显示较少的建筑开发和广阔的未耕地，这部分与文献相抵触，认为物理发展会导致土地稀缺，这可能导致土地权利不平等。这项研究与文献相符，并得出结论，人口增长，城市化，尤其是对未来土地前景的预期，主要影响该地区当前的土地权利不平等和土地使用权不安全。这项研究的发现对于确定这种基于背景的土地权利和权属变化非常有用。该研究还显示了变化的性质和程度，因此就如何，谁以及哪个土地权利需要得到加强提供了指示。除了，这项研究表明，社区领袖和社区组织可以协助当地社区重新认识自己，以特别保护社会弱势群体的土地权利。该研究还揭示了社区的基本潜力，即他们愿意与各种努力合作（无论是本地的还是外部的），以缩小土地权利的差异，从而进一步边缘化已经边缘化的女性和男性定居者。本文建议进行进一步的研究，以确定解决土地权利变化和确保不同群体之间土地使用权安全的具体方法。该研究还揭示了社区的基本潜力，即他们愿意与各种努力合作（无论是本地的还是外部的），以缩小土地权利的差异，从而进一步边缘化已经边缘化的女性和男性定居者。本文建议进行进一步的研究，以确定解决土地权利变化和确保不同群体之间土地使用权安全的具体方法。该研究还揭示了社区的基本潜力，即他们愿意与各种努力合作（无论是本地的还是外部的），以缩小土地权利的差异，从而进一步边缘化已经边缘化的女性和男性定居者。本文建议进行进一步研究，以找出解决土地权利变化并确保不同群体之间土地使用权安全的具体方法。