FAO Organized a 2-day Workshop for Traditional Leaders and Local Authorities on Gender and Land Rights
By: Summner Komngbap
The
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations with the
International Labour Organization (ILO), in collaboration with the Government
of Sierra Leone with support from the Peace Building Fund (PBF), on Thursday
11th July 2019 concluded a 2-days workshop on Gender and Land Rights within the
framework of implementing the PBF project on 'Creating Peaceful Societies
Through Women's Improved Access to Management of Natural Resources, Land Tenure
Rights and Economic Empowerment in Sierra Leone.' The workshop brought together
over 40 stakeholder and traditional authorities from four (4) districts of
Bombali (North), Port Loko (North West), Bo (South) and Kenema (East) were the
project is being implemented. In attendance were 8 Paramount Chiefs, 16 Section
Chiefs and 16 Mamie Queens. In promoting gender equality and peace building in
Sierra Leone, sister agency the United Nations Women (UN Women) and the office
of the UN Residence coordinator participated in the workshop. The two-day
interactive workshop was held at the Golden Tulip Kimbima Hotel, Aberdeen in
Freetown.
The
FAO Representative in Sierra Leone, in her welcome and opening remark, Dr.
Nyabenyi Tipo highlighted that the objectives of the workshop was to enhanced
the capacities of Traditional Authorities (especially Paramount Chiefs,
Section Chiefs, and Mamie Queens) to better understand and advocate for the
Peace-building Mechanisms and promoting Women’s Land and property rights in
their communities.
She also stated that the workshop was to increase knowledge
and awareness on global and national principles, policies and practices such
the Voluntary Guideline (VGGT), the national land policy existing legal
framework for securing land and property rights. Madam Tipo further explained
that the workshop will enhance their skills in Alternative to Dispute
Resolution (ADR) mechanisms to address especially land conflict in their
various communities.
She reminded participants that although FAO is
facilitating the workshop it is their responsibility to bring change to
society, stating that the PBF project is linked to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) which among others includes, reduce poverty, zero
hunger, gender equality and reduced inequality. She commended the Ministry of Lands,
Housing and the Environment for being pivotal in the entire project.
She
further revealed that the mapping of lands in some selected chiefdoms in the
country has created impact with a lot of advantages and acclaimed the Office of
the United Nations Resident Coordinator, Green Scenery, NAMATI, the West Africa
Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and the Sierra Leone Labor Congress for their
support and wished all a successful workshop asserting that participants must
take the workshop seriously and be agents of change when they return to their
respective communities by championing women’s rights.
The
ILO Project Manager, Mr. Paul Mayanja, said it is a privilege for him to meet
Paramount Chiefs and Traditional Leaders at the same place and time, that he is
pleased to work with FAO on the peace building fund project, underscored that
land is critical for development and hoped that at the end of the workshop
participants would empower others on how to productively make use of land to
improve their lives.
He
reiterated that after knowing about land rights, participants should make land
more productive as well as create jobs affirming that ILO would work with
Paramount Chiefs and Traditional Leaders to make use of land, that the project
would visit chiefdoms to work with the people to link markets, create jobs to
improve their lives and expressed thanks to FAO for partnering with ILO and
other donors to make a difference and create change in Sierra Leone.
The
Representative of UN Women, Baindu Massaquoi extoled FAO and ILO for the
project, she stated that women have been left behind since the end of the civil
war. She recalled that they have worked with female Paramount Chiefs during the
2018 elections to increase their representation in Parliament, protection and
prevention of violence against women, women’s empowerment and that they are
working with the Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs to
implement several treaties and agreements like the UN Security Council
Resolution 1324 to protect women against violence.
According
to the UN Women Programme Specialist Baindu Massaquoi, UN Women is working to
give space to women, she explained that if women own land they would contribute
to food security and take good care of their families. She stated that after
the civil war, women’s groups advocated for equal representation in governance,
to be part of decision-making process and the 30% quota to consolidate peace in
the country as 51% of the population are women. Madam Massaquoi appealed to
participants to be attentive and ask questions during the workshop for the
development of Sierra Leone recalling that after nationwide consultations the
Constitutional Review Committee created a whole chapter on women.
Ms.
Simonetta Rossi, Peace and Development Advisor, Office of the UN Resident
Coordinator articulated that Paramount Chiefs are the right people to discuss
land rights, she hoped that the workshop would be useful and that participants
would disseminate the information as well as become agents of peace and change
to ensure that all have equal access to land and that the United Nations
General Assembly is supporting sustainable peace in Sierra Leone to address the
causes of violence. She further dilated on what is real and positive peace,
inter-ethnic conflicts, cultural violence and the absence of social services.
Mr. Jobo Samba from the Ministry of Lands gave the history of the National Land Policy that was developed by UNDP and the Government of Sierra Leone, with technical support from FAO and other partners, and approved in November 2016 after nationwide consultations. He stated that the new policy would help to address the many challenges in the land sector, correct the mistakes of the past, address climate change and food insecurity and equal access to land intimating that the customs and traditions of the people, human dignity, gender equity, transparency and accountability and the challenges women face to access land, were all taken onboard the new policy.
Mr. Jobo Samba from the Ministry of Lands gave the history of the National Land Policy that was developed by UNDP and the Government of Sierra Leone, with technical support from FAO and other partners, and approved in November 2016 after nationwide consultations. He stated that the new policy would help to address the many challenges in the land sector, correct the mistakes of the past, address climate change and food insecurity and equal access to land intimating that the customs and traditions of the people, human dignity, gender equity, transparency and accountability and the challenges women face to access land, were all taken onboard the new policy.
He
also disclosed that the main aim of the project is to create peaceful societies
in Sierra Leone, commended donors for supporting land reforms in the country,
that the level of participants is encouraging. He assured all present that
access to land would improve in the future, that the views of participants
would be taken on board to enrich the discussion that women are discriminated
against in the two land tenure systems stressing that government can acquire
land anywhere in the country for development purposes for which the owners must
be compensated.
Mr.
Jombo Samba went on to state that the Ministry is aware of the numerous
challenges relating to land including large-scale acquisition of land, weak
land administration, conflicting and overlapping land laws and urged
participants to utilize the workshop to address the challenges relating to land
affecting communities guaranteeing that the Ministry would go the extra-mile to
fully implement the National Land Policy and the Voluntary Guidelines on the
Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT)
according to the country’s national development policy.
He
furthered that large-scale land investments must be responsible, respect human
rights, promote food security, alternative livelihood and protect the
environment Dr. Samuel Mabikke, FAOs Land Tenure
Officer, informed participants that this is the first Peace Building project
incorporating economic empowerment of women for national cohesion and peaceful
resolution asserting that ILO would concentrate on training women in economic
empowerment, that the mapping of lands would be scaled-up in some areas
informing that the pilot project was implemented in eight chiefdoms and 16
villages according to geographic balance–Bo, Kenema, Port Loko and
Bombali.
He
also stated that FAO is receiving a lot of requests to map the lands of other
districts, that land includes forests and fisheries that the project is
supported by the UN Secretary General and is coordinated from New York. Dr.
Mabikke emphases that Sierra Leone is rich in natural resources which, if
properly utilized, would benefit the people. He stated that over $200 million
worth of rice is imported annually in-spite of the country’s fertile soil, rain
and abundance land revealing that over 90% of land is in the provinces and
reiterated the need to empower women stressing that traditional leaders are key
to peace and stability.
Mr.
Joseph Brima, the Assistant FAO Representative in charge of programs commended
Paramount Chiefs and traditional leaders, who are the first point of contact in
the chiefdom, for attending the workshop and was optimistic that participants
learnt a lot during the workshop. He emphasized that one learns every day,
especially how to resolve land disputes.
He
also appealed to all participants to always consult women whom he referred to
as prophetesses with special gifts from God adding that sometimes women give
good advice.
Other
facilitators were Kadija Isata Jalloh of FAO who dilated on the topic, Securing
Women’s Property Right; Past and Current, a Local Perspective; Dr. Isata Mahoi
of WANEP, Women’s Land Rights in the Constitution and the National Land Policy;
Responsible Management of Natural Resources in the Context of Large-Scale Land
Based Investments by Mr. Joseph Rahall, Executive Director of Green Scenery and
Community Land Protection-Putting the Power of Law in the Hands of the People
by Mr. Daniel Sesay, Senior Program Officer,
NAMATI.
Umaru
Samai, Programs and Advocacy Associate, UN Women urged participants not to
discriminate against women as well as advocate for their rights. Mr. Samai from
UN Women together with Mr. Joseph Brima (FAO) decorated participants with the
badge as He/She Ambassadors as advocates and champions for women’s rights.
The
vote of thanks was rendered by one male and one female participant. In closing,
the female speaker appealed for mutual support affirming that language should
not be a barrier for interaction.
Highlights
of the workshop were the screening of the VGGT footage, the question and answer
session, decoration of participants with the He/She badge as Ambassadors with
the pledge that they would promote women’s rights and gender equality in their
communities.
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