The Expert Group Meeting (EGM) organized by the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) on 4 and 5 February 2015 in Entebbe, Uganda, was successful in reviewing and validating the Gender Strategy of the organization. The meeting provided further recommendations for the finalization of the document, and identified key follow-up actions and activities as well as the actors to play specific roles in their implementation.

“We are grateful to all participants for their valuable suggestions on improving the Gender Strategy,” said Ms Joan Kagwanja, Chief of the LPI, during the closing session. She pointed to fact that the meeting developed a clear action plan, and “therefore holds LPI accountable for the implementation.”

The meeting was officially closed by Ms Naome Kabanda, representative of the Uganda Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development. In her closing remarks, Ms Kabanda noted that some countries, such as Rwanda and Ethiopia, can be crucial partners and good case studies on land and gender issues. She added that the LPI Gender Strategy “will be quite instrumental as a learning tool for other institutions, and for empowering women.”

The meeting was attended by 20 experts drawn from land and gender Ministries of Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), research institutions, civil society organizations, international organizations, and United Nations agencies.

Background

The LPI has developed the draft gender strategy as a guide to mainstreaming gender in the land policy development and implementation processes in Africa. The main objective of the meeting was to review and provide inputs to the LPI Gender Strategy, with a view to validating information, data, and evidence presented in the document. 

“Today, in many African rural communities, women still do not have access to, and control of land needed for production. They benefit less from economic opportunities than men, because they are not land owners,” noted in her opening remarks Ms Sarah Kulata–Basangwa, acting Director of Land Management, representing the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development of Uganda. She highlighted the need for Africa to close the gender gaps, in order to achieve significant productivity gains. Ms Kulata–Basangwa further noted the need for gender responsive public awareness initiatives, and the importance of developing land policy action plans with gender inclusive monitoring and evaluation indicators.

Ms Joan Kagwanja, Chief of the LPI, noted that the EGM happens at the heels of the declaration by the African Union of 2015 as the “Year of Women Empowerment and Development towards Agenda 2063.”

“We start our contribution to the AU year of women’s empowerment by providing an avenue to address the challenges of women’s access to, and control of land as an entry points to achieving the goals of the Agenda 2063,” added Ms Kagwanja.

Main recommendations provided by the EGM will contribute to the finalization of the strategy by the LPI.

---

The Land Policy Initiative is a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its mandate is to facilitate the implementation of the AU Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges in Africa.