ADDIS ABABA– The revised proclamation of Rural Land Administration and Use has addressed significant areas that are believed to ensure women’s land rights.
Ethiopian Women Federation Director Genet Seyoum made the remark during the policy dialogue held on the Federal and Oromia State’s amended Rural Land Administration and Use proclamation.
“While land is the major source of economy particularly for women in rural areas, equal access to land was not ensured due to social norms, weak policy implementation and other reasons. However, unless women’s land right is secured, no other rights would be ensured,” she emphasized.
Genet, who is also Chair of S4H Steering Committee, said that there need to be firm action from all actors to amend the wrong social perception towards women right to land ownership.
Despite the progressive achievements, much work is needed to ensure political commitment. She further stressed that more emphasis need to be given to sensitizing the community and stakeholders at all level.
Nardos Eshetu, Stand for Her Land (S4HL) Campaign Project Manager, mentioned that the major aim of the policy dialogue is to close the critical implementation gap between laws and practice so as to benefit women.
Closing the gap requires political commitment. Thus, S4HL campaign, which is launched by Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia, has been delivering capacity building trainings for pertinent stakeholders and advocating for WLRs.
“Not only the former policy failed to address the gaps faced with persistent discriminatory social norms but weak policy implementation has also remained a challenge.”
Thus, engaging with communities in realizing women land rights, increasing knowledge for diverse group of stakeholders, and catalyzing sustained, locally driven movement for women land rights is the major objective of the revised policy, she stated.
Moreover, women housing, land and property rights contribute to their leadership and participation in decision making. Furthermore, it is instrumental in improving food security, poverty reduction, and sustainable economic growth, she added.
Presenting a paper on the amended proclamation, Melese Damitte (PhD), said that land is a life line of economy for many countries like Ethiopia where people depend their lives on farming and pastoralist.
Unlike the former policy, he said, the revised proclamation included significant areas with the intention of ensuring women’s land rights. The new rural Land Administration and Use Proclamation 1324/2024 has included 13 entities of word women while the former failedto give due emphasis.
He also noted that the new proclamation included different Articles that aimed to address barriers which are believed to limit the opportunity for women to exercise their land rights.
One such example could be the article that gives priority to women during land distribution among spouses, particularly for landless women. Similarly, it included access to land whether married, widowed or separated, while it gives right to joint development with investors(capital contribution), and equal right with men in using, administering and transferring land while in marriage, among others.
S4HL operates through country coalition, consisting of robust network of 23 local CSOs which are believed to drive the movement to the grass root level and advocate for women’s land rights, it was learned.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 25 OCTOBER 2024
