Women’s Land Rights in Northern Uganda (West Nile, Acholi, Lango, Teso and Karamoja)

February 2014
Oxfam (Christopher Burke and Doreen Nancy Kobusingye)

Key findings: Customary tenure remains strong with only 1.2% of plots held under statutory tenure. Over 86% of women reported they have access to land under customary tenure and c.63% of women reported they “own” land under customary tenure. Tenure security is not dependent on formal documentation as proof of ownership. Men play a dominant role in land management. General knowledge of statutory and customary land law and management systems is poor. c.50% of the population have experienced land conflicts, 72% are within household, family or clan. Interventions by NGOs and faith based institutions related to land conflict are minimal. Dynamics of women’s land and property rights in northern Uganda do not appear to be inherently different from the rest of the country. Strengthening customary institutions and practices in relation to women’s land and property rights is clearly the most effective way forward in the short to medium term.