Landesa Landesa partners with governments and local NGOs to ensure the world’s poorest families have secure land rights, which develops sustainable economic growth and improves education, nutrition, and conservation

Landesa’s Current Initiatives in Rwanda­­­­

Rwanda is the most densly populated country in Africa and this density and scarcity of arable land played a large role in the genocide and recurring conflicts the country has experienced. So Landesa’s work in Rwanda is quite critical. Landesa has worked in Rwanda for six years to improve the country’s conflict resolution institutions and improve and strengthen land rights – particularly for women- to help prevent future conflicts. Currently, the Government of Rwanda is implementing a nationwide Land Tenure Regularization program which will – for the first time- create a national database of land ownership. The program is expected to legally demarcate and clarify ownership for a total of 11 million parcels (Rwanda’s population is about 11 million). Landesa is working to ensure that women’s land rights are recognized and respected in Rwanda, which has –because of its history of violence – a large number of female headed households.

Landesa is partnering with a local NGO (Haguruka), the Rwandan government (Gender Monitoring Office), and CARE International Rwanda to study women’s land rights in the country, build the organizations’ capacity to improve and advocate for women’s land rights, and monitor the implementation of this program.

Landesa’s impact on Rwanda’s nationwide LTR program is in three key partnerships:

1.  We are building the capacity of the Gender Monitoring Office (an autonomous government agency) in monitoring the LTR process to ensure women’s land rights are duly recognized and to advocate for improvements in the process based on the results of the monitoring work.

2. Landesa is also partnering with the local Rwandan NGO, Haguruka, to improve the legal information on LTR, its implications and benefits, especially to women in rural areas. This component will conduct an LTR legal sensitization campaign and provide LTR legal aid services where needed.

3. Lastly, we are partnering with CARE International Rwanda to assess the impact of CARE’s pilot community dialogue and awareness campaign on women’s participation in the LTR process and ultimately getting their land rights formalized. This awareness program is a more intensive awareness raising campaign than current government efforts. On this same project, in partnership with CARE, we are establishing a baseline study to assess if formalizing women’s land rights do lead to secured land rights for women (in practice) and how this changes intrahousehold decision-making dynamics (women’s bargaining power within the household).

Country Overview

Between April and June 1994, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in just 100 days. Today, more than a decade after the genocide, Rwanda is healing. Yet, demographic changes and vast upheaval pose daunting challenges for Rwandans. Historically, land pressure has been a severe problem in Rwanda, where over 90% of the population practices agriculture and lives in rural areas. As those displaced during past conflicts and the genocide return to their homes, conflicting claims to the same land often arise. Women’s claims to land are frequently marginalized. Failure to access land can leave a family destitute.

A new land law is laying the foundation for improving the tenure security of rural communities. Several initiatives were launched in select rural communities to pilot land rights formalization and inform the government about how the process could be scaled up nationwide, a process that is currently underway.

Past programs include:

Rwanda land law & land-related gender assistance.

Landesa partnered with USAID and the Government of Rwanda to ensure that women understand, participate in and benefit from the land formalization efforts that are being implemented across the country. Also, Landesa piloted a paralegal program to provide legal advocacy to disputants, particularly women and children, in four areas. January 2008 to February 2009.

Rwanda land dispute management project.

Landesa partnered with the USAID Conflict Management and Mitigation unit to lead a project designed to strengthen the capacity of local dispute resolution authorities in two pilot areas. May 2006 to June 2008.

Rwanda land law and policy assessment and recommendations and follow-on legal and regulatory development.

Landesa worked with Rwanda’s Ministry of Lands and Environment (MINITERE) and USAID to develop a new and comprehensive policy and legislative framework to govern land relations. May 2003 to May 2008.