A stronger voice for women in local land governance: effective approaches in Tanzania, Ghana and Senegal

August 2019
IIED (Philippine Sutz, Amaelle Seigneret, Mary Richard, Patricia Blankson Akapko, Fati Alhassan, Mamadou Fall)

In many rural areas across sub-Saharan Africa lack of tenure security for women has been exacerbated by rising commercial pressure on land, further aggravated by climate change, urbanisation and population growth. As a result, rural livelihoods are being undermined, with potentially dire consequences for communities’ economic development and food security. Since 2016 IIED has been working with partners in Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania to engage with rural communities. While the initiatives have been tailored to the local context, all three share a common vision – that of strengthening rural women’s voices in issues of local land governance. This report presents in clear and concise detail the approach used in each case, as well as the key outcomes and lessons learned. From this, recommendations for replication and upscaling are made, providing a much-needed pathway for improving rural women’s access to land, as well as the control they exert over their livelihood options.