WOMEN LAND RIGHTS

Women all over Africa face numerous challenges in accessing, owning and controlling rights in relation to different resources. This is attributed to a number of discriminatory social, cultural and economic practices that consciously and unconsciously ascribe women second class rights to such resources.

Malawi sadly is no exception to this. This is particularly worrisome considering Malawi's high dependence on agriculture of which land is a critical factor of production. Despite statistics showing the significant contribution women make in the agricultural sector their right to access, own and control land is tied to their marital status which is not a stable determinant for such an essential right.

The NES platform is working to ensure that these harmful social, cultural and economic practices such as widow dispossession of land and unequal inheritance are discouraged and there is more equitable distribution of land resources in the country.

This is being pursued through among others:

• Educating women on their rights and how to secure them
• Mass awareness of gender issues within the land governance sector
• Lobbying for equity in land allocation and administration among traditional leaders, men in communities and government officials
• Advocating for gender responsive laws and policies
• Capacity building of various stakeholders on gender issues faced within the land governance sector
• Research and Dissemination on gender and land