Land matters for women, indigenous peoples and a food secure world

NEW YORK – On 23 September, in the margins of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, government and civil society representatives gathered in New York City to discuss improving these rights for two groups in particular: women and indigenous peoples.

The events, each packed to the brim with attendants – many of whom were eager to share their own stories – illustrated that the world is listening to the voices of millions and is taking action.

Women and Land

"Increasing women's access to land can be a powerful tool to fight poverty and hunger," said FAO Deputy Director-General for Knowledge, Maria Helena Semedo. A holistic approach and supporting measures are also needed to ensure women's participation in decision making, and for their effective use of the land. 

“Information is crucial,” she added.  “Our efforts to improve the availability of sex disaggregated data on land ownership are beginning to pay off.”

With a revamped, expanded version set to launch in early November, FAO’s Gender and Land Rights Database will continue to provide up-to-date country level information on factors that influence the realization of women’s land rights, noted Ms Semedo.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, spoke of the progress in his country in women’s equality and rights to land.

“In accordance with the federal constitution, women have the right to acquire, administer, control, use and transfer property. Women are much more aware of their rights than they were five years ago.”

However, despite this encouraging progress, there is much more to be done, he added.

Tackling these remaining challenges and underlying problems through an integrated approach became a common theme in the discussion.

Gender bias, land reform, registration, unequal access to resources and education are just some issues still facing women, stated Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.

“Gender equality requires an integrated approach that addresses structural barriers,” she emphasized. “There is a need to be comprehensive.”

Addressing indigenous peoples’ needs

Indigenous peoples face similar discrimination when it comes to lands, territories and resources. Their relationship with these factors “forms the basis of identity to overcome poverty, secure livelihoods and heritage,” remarked Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD.

Lilianne Ploumen, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands echoed similar sentiments: “The lack of respect for such land rights hampers human development, contributes to poverty and increases food insecurity.”

FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, aims to address these issues. The Guidelines, which promote secure tenure rights as a means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and protecting the environment, critically address both indigenous issues and gender equality related to land. 

 “We are more sensitive to the fact that secure tenure has to underpin the solutions to many global challenges,” said Ms Semedo.

“The Voluntary Guidelines include general principles, among which is the need for States to recognize, respect and safeguard legitimate tenure rights, including, of course, those of indigenous peoples,” she added.

Speaking at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, Ms Semedo further emphasized the role of the Guidelines to a broader audience, stating that they empower indigenous peoples by recognizing and respecting their rights and territories.

Post-2015

The Post-2015 development agenda, and in particular the Sustainable Development Goals, offers a great opportunity to build on progress to date in land rights for women and indigenous peoples and to move closer towards equality.

“These goals and targets must also make the connection between land rights, food security and sustainable development. No clearer is the connection than indigenous people’s communities,” said Mr Nwanze.

Similarly, the ongoing consultations “provide an important opportunity to ensure gender equality, women’s access to land and their economic empowerment,” noted Ms Semedo.

She concluded: “The General Assembly will start its debate here in New York, and the post-2015 agenda will be decided. We hope that the understanding of the fundamental relationship between secure access to land and resources and ending poverty will be reinforced, especially in the case of the most vulnerable.”