Women's rights to land must be strengthened: African parliamentarians

Abstract

The Land Policy Initiative (LPI) participated in a workshop organized by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) on the theme “Strengthening women’s rights to land access: a parliamentarian response to close gender gap for economic development through agriculture.” The workshop discussed the relationship between women’s access to land and economic development in Africa, and identified the critical factors that prevent women from using and controlling land. It helped to strengthen Parliamentarians’ capacity to advocate for increased governments and communities’ awareness of women land rights. The workshop enhanced the capacity of members of PAP, who are also members of their respective national Parliaments, to further take on their legislative mandate and oversight role with the aim to influence women’s access to and control over land.