Joia Ca: From daily struggle to leadership and peacebuilding in Biombo

Biombo, Guinea-Bissau - In Biombo, Guinea-Bissau, the story of Joia Ca illustrates how women’s empowerment and sustainable resource management can transform a community. For many years, Joia faced land insecurity and recurring disputes that affected her family’s stability. To support her family, she bought bread, made sandwiches and sold them, an activity that helped her survive but offered little prospects for growth.  

When training sparks transformation 

Everything changed when Joia joined the Project of Peaceful Land Management in the Regions of Cacheu, Oio and Biombo, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‑Habitat), and Interpeace Voz di Paz, with funding from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF). Through Listening Clubs, she learned mediation and conflict‑resolution skills that strengthened her voice and elevated her role in the community. With this new expertise, Joia now leads a group of about 40 women working together to promote the peaceful resolution of land disputes in their villages.

Mediating conflicts and challenging traditions 

Her leadership has already had a tangible impact. On 28 October 2023, Joia’s group mediated several community‑level conflicts in their villages, including a dispute between the communities of Bumini and Cumura Papel that began during a football match. Thanks to their efforts, the two sides reconciled and now share the same field again.

She also helped resolve land‑related disputes, such as an inheritance conflict between two brothers that was settled through dialogue on 28 April 2023. Some long‑standing disputes, however, especially those lacking surviving witnesses, remain unresolved, highlighting the limits of informal mediation.

In the Papel ethnic group, land rights and inheritance are traditionally considered the domain of men. Joia, while respecting her community’s cultural heritage, advocates for a new mindset: that women should also participate in land governance and conflict resolution, regardless of gender, ethnicity or social status. 

Economic empowerment as a foundation for peace 

The project’s approach also includes income‑generating activities through a rotating savings and loan system led by Listening Club members under Joia’s leadership. Through this initiative, Joia increased her income and built her own wood‑fired oven. She now produces bread, sandwiches, and juices made from local fruits for sale in the community. This financial autonomy strengthens her confidence and reinforces her influence and leadership.

 Today, Joia Ca stands as a symbol of women’s leadership in peaceful land management and community‑level conflict resolution. This demonstrates the transformative potential of women’s education and economic empowerment in contributing to peacebuilding. The Peaceful Land Management Project, implemented by FAO in 2023 with a focus on youth participation, reached 30 communities across Biombo, Cacheu, and Oio, and directly benefited 1050 young people. Joia’s story is just one example of its lasting impact.