Many women
in rural areas engage in agriculture, cultivating various crops, but when it
comes to land ownership, they still face significant challenges.
The number
of women who own land remains small, largely due to deeply rooted patriarchal
systems within the community. There is no true economic empowerment for rural
women if they don’t own the land they farm.
Despite
their hard work and the physical effort, they put into cultivating crops, their
toil often yields little benefit, as they have no ownership rights over the
land.
This issue
is even more pronounced among pastoral communities, which have traditionally
adhered to patriarchal norms that prevent women from owning land.
Studies
conducted by various institutions reveal that although many women are farmers,
their land ownership rates are low due to these oppressive systems.
Education
has been identified as a key tool in helping women secure their land rights.
Empowering women through education is seen as the only way to fight for their
rights to own land, moving away from the current situation where men are the
sole landowners.
More
strategies are needed to empower women to gain confidence in land ownership.
It is
essential for communities to recognize women’s rights to land, especially given
their significant role in agricultural production and household sustenance.
Despite
their critical role, women continue to be hindered by harmful cultural norms
that restrict their land use and ownership, even when it benefits their
families and society.
To promote
women’s land ownership, the Rural Women’s Platform of Tanzania, in partnership
with the non-governmental organization MIICO, has been educating women, men,
and students in Nkwangu village, Upendo ward, Chunya district.
This
initiative aims to advance the global campaign for women’s land rights,
particularly among pastoral communities.
Shashi
Kinda, a resident of Nkwangu, highlighted the importance of the education they
received from the Rural Women’s Platform, which emphasized that women have the
right to own land, challenging the traditional patriarchal mindset.
"The
education we received is invaluable. We will continue to educate the community
that women have the right to own land and are equal to men in this
regard," said Kinda.
Zengo
Nyolobi, a resident of Nkwangu with 22 children and 27 grandchildren, noted
that both of his wives must own land due to their crucial role in the family.
As a
pastoralist, he stressed the importance of recognizing women's fundamental
right to land ownership, especially if they are actively involved in
agriculture.
"Many
women are sidelined in matters of land. In agriculture, women are the majority,
but when it comes to land ownership, very few own lands. There is no true
economic empowerment for women in rural areas without land ownership,"
Nyolobi emphasized.
Wande
Woshima, another pastoral woman from Kisungu, noted that the education she
received opened her eyes and allowed her to own land for her family without any
disputes.
Mariam
Mwambene, a member of the Rural Women’s Platform, praised the land ownership
campaign, noting that men have increasingly recognized the importance of
granting land rights to their wives.
"We
are grateful for this campaign, and we urge the Rural Women’s Platform to
continue providing education, especially in pastoral communities where the need
is still great," she said
Catherine
Mulaga, Executive Director of MIICO, noted the significant challenges women
face in land ownership in Southern African countries.
She
highlighted that research conducted in 2023 across these regions pointed out
systemic issues, cultural norms, and traditions as barriers to women’s access
to land, despite existing supportive policies.
Mulaga
emphasized the importance of community education and campaigns across Southern
Africa to promote land ownership among women.
"Today,
we are in Nkwangu village, Upendo ward, an area predominantly pastoralist. We
know it faces challenges in land ownership rights for women, and we believe
that educating men and women together will lead to changes that empower women
to own land," she noted.
The
campaign began in Tanzania’s southern highlands in 2023 and has reached various
regions, including Songwe, Katavi, Rukwa, Mbeya, Iringa, and Njombe.
The
initiative is spreading to Dodoma and Arusha, aiming to reach 1,000 women by
the end of the year through a grassroots network.
Egitho
Bilali, a lawyer for the Rural Women’s Platform of Tanzania, emphasized that
their goal is to educate women on their land rights and challenge the
patriarchal belief that land ownership is solely for men.
According
to the law, women have equal rights to own land, whether in or outside
marriage.
He urged
pastoral women to abandon outdated beliefs that consider women as mere property
and to recognize that women deserve equal rights under the law, including the
right to land ownership as stated in Tanzania’s Constitution of 1977.