NELGA Sensitize Local Leaders on Gender and Land Rights in Tanzania

The Land Administration Unit at Ardhi University, the NELGA Node for East Africa, embarked on a Community Outreach Project from July 12 to 17, to sensitize local leaders in community districts on land laws with an ultimate goal to spearhead good land governance.

These were carried out through a series of awareness-raising workshops in three districts i.e. Kilwa, Lindi Rural (Mtama) and Ileje. Over 200 local leaders drawn from among members of Village Councils, Village Leaders (Chairpersons and Village Executive Officers), Ward Executive Officers and Councillors, and members of the Ward Tribunal from the respective districts participated in the workshops. In addition, District land professionals and representatives of District Commissioners and District Administrative Secretaries participated in the workshops.

The Workshops were participatory and focused on the legal framework governing access to land touching on village land management, land rights of various groups such as women, youth and pastoralists.  The outreach programme addressed land challenges from the gender perspective and their related bundle of rights, and highlight land rights, land acts, and policies in Tanzania as instruments against gender discrimination to land, and develop a system to create common solutions. Such instruments are key to empower women and reduce related land conflicts at the grassroots level before seeking resolution for land disputes through other means.