The Unfinished Journey to Women’s Land Rights
Thirty years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, no country in the world has fully delivered on women’s rights. While significant progress has been made in securing strong legal frameworks at national and global levels, the reality for women at the grassroots remains unchanged. The struggle for land rights is a glaring example of this implementation gap.
For women across Africa, land is more than just property; it is security, dignity, and opportunity. Yet, despite existing legal provisions such as the Maputo Protocol and the Guidelines on Large-Scale Land-Based Investments in Africa, enforcement remains weak. Women continue to face systemic discrimination, cultural barriers, and economic exclusion in accessing and owning land.
As we mark International Women’s Day 2025 with the theme "Accelerate Action", it is time to move beyond rhetoric. These testimonials from grassroots women, pastoralists, farmers, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), and young women provide a first-hand account of the barriers they face and the urgent need for change.
Women’s Voices: Stories from the Frontline
Laureen Ongesa: "Land is more than ownership; it is survival"
"Women’s land rights are about more than just having a title deed. They represent security for our children, economic empowerment, and a future free from fear. When women have secure land tenure, they invest in their farms, increase productivity, and strengthen food security.
However, many of us cannot inherit land, cannot use it as collateral for loans, and are constantly at risk of eviction. Traditional norms still favor men, and even where laws exist, enforcement remains weak. Without land, women are denied their fundamental right to dignity and independence."
Aïcha Salihou: "We work the land, but we do not own it"
"In my community, women can access land but cannot own it. We farm on our father’s, brother’s, or husband’s land. If we want to invest in agriculture, we must rent land from a third party.
The biggest challenge is tradition and lack of awareness. Many Indigenous women do not even know that they have land rights. Without ownership, we are left economically vulnerable, unable to plan or make decisions about the land we cultivate.
To change this, we need education, legal reforms, and male allies who will support women’s right to own and control land."
Janet Lapat: "Culture sees me as my husband’s property, not a landowner"
"For grassroots women, land ownership is a constant battle against cultural norms and economic barriers. In my community, women are only allowed to farm for subsistence, while men control commercial agriculture. When they sell produce at the market, the earnings often do not return to the household but instead fuel gender-based violence (GBV).
Widows and single mothers suffer the most. When a husband dies, his wife is often forced to leave her home and land behind, regardless of how much she contributed to acquiring it. Women are also pressured to sign land agreements as witnesses rather than as co-owners, making it easier for men to sell land without their consent.
The only way forward is to put land in the hands of women and girls, ensuring they can make decisions about its use, control, and inheritance."
Saoudata: "For Indigenous Women, Land is Life"
"As an Indigenous woman who has spent most of her life on traditional land, I have a deep attachment to my territory. Land is not just property; it is our history, culture, and survival.
Having land rights allows me to maintain spiritual, nutritional, and health-related connections to my environment. Access to my ancestors’ cemeteries provides me with spiritual comfort, and certain areas such as: forests, ponds, oases to sustain our communities. When my community is denied access to its land, it is like removing fish from water. Our most fundamental rights: food, health, care, culture, and history are at risk."
Accelerating Change
Women at the grassroots are not just victims; they are leaders, cultivators, and change-makers. But without land rights, their potential remains stifled. To bridge the gap between policy and reality, we must take concrete action:
Engage communities in cultural transformation
- Community dialogues involving traditional leaders, men, and youth can challenge deep-seated gender norms.
- Public awareness campaigns must inform women of their legal rights and how to claim them.
Amplify women’s voices and data collection
- Policymakers must include grassroots women in decision-making forums.
- Governments and civil society must commit to tracking and reporting on progress in closing the gender gap in land ownership.
Strengthen legal frameworks and enforcement
- Governments must fully implement and enforce existing laws protecting women’s land rights.
- Legal loopholes that allow discriminatory inheritance practices must be closed.
- Land titling initiatives should prioritize joint ownership for spouses to protect widows and single mothers.
Provide economic and institutional support
- Women must have access to credit and financial resources to invest in agriculture and business.
- Governments should subsidize affordable land registration processes to reduce bureaucratic barriers.
- Capacity-building programs can train women in sustainable land management and agribusiness.
A Future Where Women Own Their Land and Their Destiny
As we commemorate International Women’s Day 2025 and reflect on 30 years of the Beijing Declaration, we must ask ourselves: What will it take to truly deliver on women's rights?
Land is not just an asset; it is the foundation for food security, economic independence, and gender equality. The voices of Laureen, Aïcha, Janet, and Saoudata remind us that without action, women will continue to be locked out of opportunities that should be rightfully theirs.
We cannot wait another 30 years. The time to accelerate action is now.