Incidental Benefits of Female Constituted Social Groups Innso' Polity of the Cameroon Grasslands: Colonial and Post-Colonial Appraisal

Abstract

Female social groups have been instrumental in the progress of nations and communities. In Cameroon they have been in existence for quite a long time, taking several forms and shapes. 1 Basically, they are voluntary groups formed by women related by an affinity, who pull their resources together for mutual benefits. These groups are always created in response to evolving circumstances, challenges and most often adjust to the ever demanding needs of society. The role of female social groups has been recognized as an important factor in sustaining long term and socio-economic changes. 2 The emergence, diversification and modernization of female social groups in Nso' a very patriarchal setup in the Cameroon Grasslands, is a case in this direction. Nso' is a highly structured society in the Cameroon Grasslands with a current population of about 307,758 inhabitants. 3 In the social set-up, gender division of roles is quite typical with both men and women playing crucial and complementary roles in the socio-economic and political life of the community. It is in this direction that the women (like their male counterparts) in most cases created social groups to respond to their ever increasing needs. Expounding on social formations of this character, Kropp and Suran maintain that a female social group is an informal association of some fifteen to twenty people, mostly women from the community, organized and controlled by the members, based on solidarity, reciprocity, common interest and resource pooling. 4 Mehta, Mishra and Singh on their part are not concerned about the number of persons involved but the objectives that bring them together. In this regard, they define female social groups as voluntary gatherings of