Securing grassroots women land rights through socio-cultural changes

Abstract

Context and background The Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa endorsed through the adoption of the African Union Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges by the African Heads of States in 2009 is having “a strong gender component which aims at “strengthening security of land tenure for women which require special attention” and “ensuring that land laws provide for equitable access to land and related resources”. Despite this progressive framework, restricted rights to access, use, inheritance, control and ownership of land by women in Africa are still strongly felt at grassroots level and can be attributed to the imbalances of power relations between men and women based on patriarchal systems and associated social norms that discriminate against women. Goal and Objectives: This paper focuses on the results of a multi countries project which aims at creating a pathway to economic justice on women’s land rights to empower women in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. The project is targeting grassroots women that are affected by unequal land and property ownership, to be at the forefront of demanding the implementation of the existing progressive policies to achieve equity and equality in property and land ownership. Results: The project brought grassroots women from across Africa within the banner of one common cause, to amplify the voice of African women against the tyranny of injustice with regards to land and property rights. In this sense it is working to bring the marginalized, socially, culturally and economically excluded grassroots women to the mainstream where they can challenge inequalities and champion their own development.