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Women Gaining Ground is a dedicated funding circle working to ensure that women in the developing world aren’t viewed as property to be owned by others, but rather become property owners in their own right.

This funding initiative supports our work in Africa, China, and India to change history for tens of thousands of women and their families through the power of land.

“If you really want to reduce poverty and hunger at the household level, you have to address women’s land rights.”

-Renee Giovarelli, executive director, Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights

Your contribution will help us reach our goal to raise $100,000 each year to support gender rights projects.  Supporters of this funding circle are invited to attend thought-provoking briefings and receive updates directly from Center Director Elisa Scalise. Learn more about how you can support Women Gaining Ground today, contact Sandra Clark at sandrac@landesa.org

Founding co-hosts: Zan Brookshire and Jean Johnson

“Women Gaining Ground is a group of supporters that has united to empower women in the developing world to move out of poverty for themselves, their families and generations to come. What could be a more inspiring cause?”

-Zan Brookshire, founding co-host of Women Gaining Ground

How Women Gaining Ground is making an impact:

The Security of Girls through Land Project – Adolescent girls who are poor and live in rural areas in India are extremely vulnerable to trafficking, child marriage, and violence. In March 2012, Landesa launched an innovative pilot project aimed at bettering the lives of girls by providing them with technical agricultural skills, giving them a stronger stake in their families.  The project also involves engaging whole communities in conversations about better pathways to ensure a stronger future for girls.

India’s first Women’s Land Rights Facilitation Center – Landesa helped the Odisha state government open a center dedicated to educating some of the most marginalized rural women about their land rights and helping them apply for government benefits. The pilot has proved to be a success, and now the Odisha government has decided to scale this initiative throughout the entire district of Ganjam.  We estimate that as many as 10,000 women will receive title to land and other government services as a result of this work.