Women need land tenure to be guaranteed by law

During a land conference on the utility and tenure rights of women, last week in Windhoek, the Deputy Minister of Land Reform, Hon Priscilla Boois said although access to land for women in Namibia has already improved through legal adjustments, there are still existing disadvantages for women especially in rural areas where many women still depend on their spouses or families.

“The Land Reform process is not only to correct the skewed ownership of commercial farm land but also to improve tenure security in the communal areas in addition to achieving social and economic equity for all citizens. It is hinged on redistribution and executed through the National Resettlement Programme and the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme. The broadening of the ownership of freehold title land is also complemented with new mechanisms to improve tenure security in communal areas” the minister stated.

The international conference, hosted by the Konrad Aderauer Foundation, brought together foundation representatives with delegates from Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Mr. Thomas Keller, Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Namibia and Angola welcomed all participants emphasising the connection between access to land and the fight against hunger and famine.

The conference gave the very first opportunity to present the results of the baseline studies from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The presentations gave detailed information on the current situation and legal frameworks in the project countries.

Afterwards the various country experiences were discussed by the cooperation partners and Konrad Adenauer representatives. These discussion formed the basis of a roadmap to achieve land tenure rights for women in all four countries.

The project managers Stefanie Braun for Namibia and Dr Samson Lembani for Malawi and Zimbabwe gave an outlook on their planned project activities. In Namibia, more workshops will be conducted with women living in rural communities. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation said the Ongwediva Trade Fair later this year will see a repeat of last year’s very successful roadshow where women in particular were sensitised about their land rights.