At a time of economic crisis and sharply
rising food prices, urban farming is increasingly
helping to sustain households. Gender is generally
thought to be a key variable in this but studies are still
in their infancy. Looking at the phenomenon from a
livelihood perspective and based on a survey carried out
in Buea, Cameroon, this paper deals with a number of
key issues related to gender and urban gardening,
including access to resources, division of labour and the
benefits and challenges encountered. An additional
variable, namely the marital status of the gardener, is
also considered. There appear to be important differences
between male and female gardeners in various respects,
and marital status plays a role not only among female
gardeners but to some extent among male gardeners too.