Women’s Land Rights

Meet Momtaz Begum, a woman rebuilding hope in coastal Bangladesh by adapting her land and planting mangroves to protect her home from the rising tide of climate change.

After decades without secure shelter, Naima and her family in Bangladesh’s Sundarbans gained legal access to land through a government lease program after attending a training supported by Shushilan and Landesa. They are now building a permanent home and planting a garden—laying the groundwork for a more stable future.

This program reflection from the Coastal Livelihoods and Mangroves Project explores how gender norms shape women’s and girls’ experiences of climate change in Bangladesh’s coastal communities. Drawing on fieldwork in Satkhira and Khulna districts, Shushilan's Snigdha Ghosh highlights how unequal access to forest resources and mobility restrictions limit women’s participation in climate resilience efforts—reinforcing vulnerabilities and increasing the risk of gender-based violence. The insights underscore the need for gender-sensitive climate action that centers the voices and rights of women and girls.