In honor of International Women’s Day, this What to Read Digest offers a selection of some of the must-read publications for anyone wishing to understand the link between land, food security and women.
A Recap of the Recent Land Portal-MRLG Webinar on Gender Equitable Land Governance in the Mekong Region
On Thursday 15 February, the Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG) project and the Land Portal launched the first webinar in the State of Land in the Mekong series. The series, which will consist of three webinars across 2024 and 2025, aims to shine a spotlight on land issues in the Mekong region during a time of immense rural transformation.
The article examines the challenges in Malawi's land governance, tracing issues back to colonial legacies and addressing contemporary problems in customary land practices. Despite amendments to incorporate indigenous people and customary laws, challenges persist, particularly in ownership claims tied to prevailing customary law in which marriage systems play a central role. The journey towards reform began in 1996, resulting in the Malawi National Land Policy in 2002, aiming for tenure security and sustainable land use. The Customary Land Act (amended) of 2022 faces challenges, including potential land grabs by wealthy Malawians. Women and children's rights in land ownership are often overlooked, with discriminatory practices persisting. Striking a balance between decolonisation and cultural preservation is crucial for achieving social justice in land laws.
The Saameynta Joint Programme is a project aimed at achieving durable solutions for internally displaced people in Somalia, which currently hosts 3.8 million IDPs. Land governance is at the center of this effort, understanding that tenure security is a fundamental piece of the puzzle to enable durable solutions.
This webinar took place on February 15th, 2024, under the title “Women’s Participation in Land Governance in the Mekong : Moving Beyond Quotas to Meaningful Inputs and Influence”. The webinar featured panelists from researchers to youth representatives. The webinar was jointly organized by the Land Portal Foundation and Mekong Region Land Governance (MRLG).
What I learned about land rights from people who don't work in land rights
By Peter Sangeyon, Gender and Land Champion, WOLTS Project Tanzania
From 1995 to 2005 I was the village chairman, and I was a ward councillor for ten years after that. I was very pleased when the community selected me to be a WOLTS gender and land champion.
Since engaging in WOLTS training, gender and land champion Sindooi is actively supporting women and widows' inheritance rights in her community.
Has land formalization - as a type of land reform - delivered on the promises of improving tenure security, agricultural productivity and women's land access? Learn more in this data story.
By Rosa Olokweni, Gender and Land Champion, WOLTS Project Tanzania
Before HakiMadini and WOLTS came to Mundarara, it was as though women in our village were sleeping. None of us was aware of our rights to land, many of us were mistreated by our husbands and we never spoke in meetings.
