Women and girls are resilient agents of change – and their potential to respond to all crises, from conflict to climate change, is accelerated when they enjoy secure rights to land.
Because youth constitute the majority of the population across Africa, investing in youth access to land is recognized as a key strategy for both economic and agricultural development. A number of countries have embraced this strategy, with Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania among others advancing efforts to improve youth land rights.
We are inspired by the possibility of strengthening women’s land rights as a way to empower women socially and economically. One such potential benefit concerns the ways in which land rights may protect women from domestic or gender-based violence – a relevant topic as the global community observes the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence.
Mars is working with Landesa to create guidance for Mars’ suppliers in their efforts to respect and strengthen land rights. This framework is designed to provide practical steps that suppliers can take to respect the land rights of individuals, families, and communities.
In Bangladesh’s Sundarbans, life revolves around coastal mangrove forests. But as climate change effects worsen, livelihoods are under threat. Read about what global actors at COP27 can do amid the deepening climate crisis.
If we want to improve lives and alleviate poverty, achieve food security globally, and guarantee human rights and full dignity for all, we must invest in land rights for women.
Land laws in India consistently use masculine pronouns and very often refer to men as the primary or exclusive legal subjects. These linguistic choices often produce social consequences that damage and limit the identity, dignity and equal opportunities for women.
Masalu Luhula discusses how the use of simplified legal guides is helping to empower communities to engage in dialogue and negotiations with government authorities and investors – and to promote socially responsible land-based investment.
The fight for gender equality is a story of bias and prejudices. Twelve women are breaking those biases by starting a collective farm in their village.
A new court ruling in India expands the scope of a daughter’s right to inherit land, but the bigger picture remains one of stark gender disparities in land rights.