Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mr. Gaye TheVoice
Published on 2024-04-02 14:49:33
Action Aid International The Gambia (AAITG) recently collaborated with the ROOTS Project to organize a knowledge-sharing event focused on women’s land rights campaign and its impact on ownership and control over productive land. The event, held at the NACCUG Conference Hall, aimed to raise awareness about the importance of empowering women in land ownership and control.
Various stakeholders attended the event, including chiefs, women, frontline extension workers, senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Lands, ward councilors, Farmers Organizations, Farmers Platforms, Civil Society Organizations, and the Select Committee on Agriculture. The event provided a platform for these stakeholders to discuss the outcomes of the campaign and chart a way forward.
Mr. Fafa O Cham, Head of Programme and Policy at AAITG, emphasized the significance of the partnership between AAITG and the ROOTS Project in promoting women’s access and control over productive land. He highlighted the crucial role that women play in rice and vegetable production and stressed the importance of supporting them in owning land to increase productivity, value addition, and income.
The piloting of the lands rights campaign in five regions, through regional and district consultations, aimed to enhance the understanding of the need for women to own land. Mr. Cham emphasized the importance of soliciting support from authorities, traditional landowners, and religious leaders to advocate for women’s land rights.
According to Mr. Cham, women currently own only 10% of farmland for production nationally, despite being the principal producers. Therefore, advocating for more land for women is essential to boost food production and diversification. The knowledge-sharing event was described as a critical forum where different actors could share experiences and collaborate on solutions.
Mamour Alieu Jagne, ROOTS Project Director, highlighted the significance of partnering with Action Aid on women’s land rights campaign for public dialogue. He commended AAITG for its track record in promoting women’s land rights using a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA).
Fatou Jammeh Touray, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Programme and Projects at the Ministry of Agriculture, called for the allocation of land to women to strengthen the food production basket and contribute to food and nutrition security. She urged the Ministry of Land to prioritize women’s ownership of land for production and value addition.
Ana Njie, President of the Female Lawyers Association of the Gambia (FLAG), emphasized the importance of public engagement in advocating for women’s ownership of land. Dr. Saikou E Sanyang, DPS at the Ministry of Agriculture, along with various National Assembly members, praised the efforts of ROOTS and Action Aid in championing women’s land rights.
Lamin Fadera, Secretary-General of the National Farmers Platform, and Kumba Sanyang, Vice President of Rural Women Assembly, highlighted the challenges posed by climate change on production costs and called for traditional landowners to support women’s ownership and control over land.
Overall, the knowledge-sharing event served as a platform for diverse stakeholders to come together to discuss the importance of women’s land rights and advocate for greater empowerment and equality in land ownership and control. Efforts by organizations like AAITG and the ROOTS Project are instrumental in promoting positive change and inclusivity in the agricultural sector.
Read the original article on The Voice Gambia
