A incerteza dos direitos das mulheres e das crianças à propriedade e heranÃça em muitos países na ÃÂfrica sub sahariana não são um assunto novo. Os sistemas de apoio à família alargada que costumavam funcionar como redes de segurança social para as viúvas e crianças órfãs enfraqueceram como consequência de mudanças na sociedade, tais como desenvolvimento económico, a migração e a urbanização. Esta situação foi claramente exacerbada pela epidemia do SIDA.

Access to land is essential to food production and income generation. It is also a key social and economic asset, crucial for cultural identity, political power and participation in decisionmaking. Social and cultural beliefs often discriminate against people because of gender, social class or ethnic group.

Women and childrens' insecure rights to property and inheritance in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa is not a new issue. The extended family support systems that used to function as social safety nets for widows and orphaned children have weakened as a consequence of societal changes such as economic development, migration and urbanization. This situation has clearly been exacerbated by the AIDS epidemic. Though prevalence is starting to level off, or even decline, in several high prevalence countries, this comes after years of increasing prevalence.

Le prsent numro d'Unasylva examine les dfis que doit relever la vulgarisation forestire et les efforts dploys actuellement en ce sens.

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This Issue of Nature & Faune puts forward the case of “African Youth in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Rural Development”. It comprises twenty one articles from authors of various backgrounds, including: policy makers, conservation NGOs; the private sector; civil society groups; research and academia as well as youth groups.