By: HarunaKuyateh
Action Aid International The Gambia (AAITG) in partnership with ROOTS Project recently organized a daylong Knowledge Sharing Event on the outcomes of women’s land rights campaign on ownership and control over productive land at the event held at NACCUG Conference Hall.
The campaign was funded by the Alliance for Biodiversity International under the ROOTS Project with the main objective of increasing women’s land ownership and control and raising awareness of the importance of the campaign.
The event brought together chiefs, Women, frontline extension workers, senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Lands, ward councilors, Farmers Organizations, Farmers Platforms, Civil Society Organizations, the Select Committee on Agriculture among others.
Mr. Fafa O Cham, Head of Programme and Policy at AAITG spoke at length on the significance of the partnership between the two institutions in promoting the welfare of women in access and control over productive land to boost food production and diversification.
He said women play a crucial role in rice and vegetable production and therefore supporting them to own land, would increase productivity, value addition, and income.
Mr. Cham said the piloting of lands rights campaign in five regions, through regional and district consultations was aimed at broadening the understanding of the need for women to own land and solicit support from authorities, traditional land owners, and religious leaders to support the advocacy.
Nationally, he said, women owned 10% of farmland for production, and they are the principal producers, therefore the advocacy is relevant to solicit more land for women.
Meanwhile, he described the knowledge-sharing event as an important forum that brought together different actors to share experiences and chat the way forward.
He lauded the efforts of the rural women’s assembly and Female Lawyer the Gambia (FLAG) for their immense contribution to bringing positive thinking on women’s land rights and its benefits.
MamourAlieuJagne, ROOTS Project Director underscored the importance of building a partnership with Action Aid on women’s land rights campaign for public dialogue
He said AAITG has a good track record on women’s land rights using the Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA).
FatouJammehTouray, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Programme and Projects at the Ministry of Agriculture called for the support of women and allocated land to them.
Saying women are the feeders of the world and therefore allocation of land would strengthen the food production basket and contribute to the realization of food and nutrition security while noting that the government is working on land banking.
She therefore called on the Ministry of Land to factor women’s ownership of land for production and value addition.
The President of the Female Lawyers Association of the Gambia (FLAG), Ana Njie dilated on the significance of public engagement in creating space for different actors to champion women’s ownership of land.
Dr. Saikou E Sanyang DPS at the Ministry of Agriculture, Hon. Omar Darboe, NAM for Upper Nuimi, Hon. SaineyJawaraNAM for Lower Saloum, and Hon. Omar Jammeh of Janjanbureh all hailed the efforts of ROOTS and Action Aid for the foresight and assured them of the select committee on agriculture at National Assembly support in ensuring land policy advocate for equity.
LaminFadera, Secretary-General of the National Farmers Platform and KumbaSanyang Vice President of Rural Women Assembly said production cost on land is high due to the effect of climate change and called on traditional land owners to support women ownership and control over land.