Land - it’s control and ownership – is at the heart of power relationships in Uganda.
Hi John,
In 2019, 514 generous Womankind supporters pledged their support to families facing forced evictions in Uganda. The UK Government matched their donations, pound for pound, through the UK Aid Match programme.
Thanks to that support, Womankind joined forces with two eco-feminist partners in Uganda to embark on an innovative project on land rights. The two partners were National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) and National Association for Women's Action in Development (NAWAD). They are concerned with how violence against women and violence against nature is interlinked.
The project could not have come at a more crucial time. It is estimated that 1 million women in Northern and Eastern Uganda will be displaced, or be at risk of displacement, by 2023. Together with NAPE & NAWAD, we wanted to unlock the power within local women to stand united against these unjust evictions
Two years later, as the project has completed, here’s what we’ve learned about supporting local women to access justice:
1. Women must know their rights in order to claim them
Together we supported 174 women to learn about their land rights and how to lobby local government & extractive businesses. Once women learn their rights, they don’t unlearn them. They are empowered to make change. This approach guides our work.
2. Women cannot fight for their rights without money to sustain themselves and their families
Together we supported 408 women who received training on eco-friendly alternative livelihoods and are earning income through individual and collective businesses. Women are now engaged in kitchen gardening, beekeeping, crafts-making & millet processing.
3. Women involved in legal disputes need access to professional legal advice
Legal aid clinics provided free advice to women involved in land disputes. Mobile clinics were set up in 12 villages so women in rural areas could access the advice and apply for the compensation they were due.
Thanks to our partners NAPE & NAWAD, 7,000 local women have been supported to protect their land rights, build a sustainable future for their communities, and form a vital part of the ecofeminist movement in Uganda.
Thank you for being part of this meaningful change in women's lives in Uganda.
With solidarity,
Hannah Little
Supporter Care Team Womankind Worldwide
Image caption: Members of Lacan Kwite Women’s Group in Nwoya, Uganda which came together as part of Womankind's project with NAPE and NAWAD. A group of 40 women have bonded and developed friendships that have supported them in their struggle with forced evictions from their land. They also farm, keep bees, and save together.
