Stewards of the Forest: Indigenous Women and Customary Land Rights in the Congo Basin

Equateur Province, DRC — “We know these trees. We know this land. But the law still doesn’t see us.”— Marie-Madeleine Likola, forest leader, Democratic Republic of Congo

Small rural village in the Congo Basin (Photo by: Fabian Plock)

In the vast green expanse of the Congo Basin — the second-largest tropical rainforest on Earth — millions of Indigenous people live without formal land titles. Among them, women are often the most connected to the land, yet the least recognised in law and policy.

Now, a regional movement is working to change that. From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Cameroon and the Republic of Congo, Indigenous women are demanding legal recognition of customary land rights, along with new protections for tenure security, gender equity, and environmental stewardship.

Forest Keepers Without Formal Rights

In traditional forest communities like the Batwa and Baka, women play central roles in collecting food, herbs, and firewood — as well as managing sacred sites and knowledge systems passed down over generations.

But despite their deep ecological knowledge, most of these women lack legal standing. According to a 2024 report by the Rainforest Foundation UK, fewer than 5% of Indigenous women in the Congo Basin hold any recognized land documents — even in areas where their families have lived for centuries.“

Customary tenure systems exist, but they’re often invisible to state institutions,” explains Mireille Mobanga, land tenure advocate with FONAREDD, DRC’s national climate fund. “This especially marginalizes women, who are rarely included in formal inheritance or consultation processes.”

Legal Breakthroughs — and Remaining Gaps

There are signs of change. In 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo passed a landmark Indigenous Peoples Law, which includes clauses on land recognition and gender equality. Cameroon has also begun consultations on reforms to its 1974 Land Ordinance, long criticized for failing to accommodate traditional land systems.

Civil society groups — including REFADD, a regional women’s rights network — are now training Indigenous women to map their land, participate in local governance councils, and document customary use.

Still, progress is slow. Implementation remains patchy, and political will inconsistent. Many rural women lack birth certificates or national ID cards — prerequisites for land claims — while discriminatory attitudes persist in both government and customary institutions.

Climate, Carbon, and the Risk of New Displacement

With the Congo Basin increasingly at the heart of global climate finance and carbon offset schemes, land tenure is no longer just a local concern. Companies and donors are investing heavily in REDD+ programs and forest preservation initiatives — often without clear safeguards for the communities who live there.

“We face a double injustice,” says Delphine Ngoya, a community organizer from northern Congo. “First we were ignored by the land system — now we risk being excluded by the climate system.”

Experts warn that without secure tenure and meaningful consultation, Indigenous women could once again be sidelined — this time by the very efforts meant to protect their forests.

Voices Rising

Despite these challenges, Indigenous women are organizing. In March 2025, leaders from nine Central African countries gathered in Kinshasa for the first Pan-African Women and Land Congress, issuing a joint declaration calling for gender-just land reforms, funding for local women-led initiatives, and full FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent).

“Recognition is not just a policy issue — it’s a matter of dignity,” said Chantal Bokassa, head of the Indigenous Women’s Platform of Central Africa.Their message: true forest protection must begin with the women who protect it every day.