Enhanced household food security through land entitlement to Ethiopian women farmers

International Fund for Agricultural Development – IFAD

Ethiopia Country Program

Sustainable Land Mangement (SLM) Project

Community Based Natural Ressources Management in Lake Tana Basin

 Ethiopian Rural women empowered through land entitlement[1]

Women in Ethiopia constitute half of the country's population and the majority of poor people in the country are believed to be women. Under Article 35/6 of the Ethiopian constitution, it is stated that women have equal rights with men with respect to use, transfer, administration and control of land. The constitution also offers particular consideration to women so as to enable them compete and participate on the basis of equality with men in political, social, and economic life.

 

W/o Yekoye Asfaw is married having and living with two children and her husband. She is one of advantageous female among rural women landholders in Amhara region. Through a pro poor land registration and certification procedure, she has received book of holding as joint title with her husband. She witnessed that after the land certification there has not been land related disputes facing her. The fact that the name of both her and her husband, farmers their photographs and the name of the neighboring are attached with the book of holding has created full confidence of being a rightful landholder. She said that she is in a position to make decision equally to her husband on issues pertaining to land and any other home matters. Accordingly, she has developed sense of ownership through engaging in long term investment by protecting her land from soil erosion through construction of bunds. Previous to land certification, a divorced woman may not have the right to claim land from former husband. This was the de facto on the men-women land rights arena. Because traditionally it was accepted that land belonged to a husband.

 Likewise, the widowed or female household was also challenged by lessees through claiming the leased land their own. This situation has been reversed by and large after the land certification exercise. Therefore, female headed landholders have a full right to use and transfer landholding to a legally predefined means of land right transfer mechanisms such as bequeath, donation and rent. By law, female are privileged to acquire land prior to male in a situation where there is vacant land.   

 

W/o Yekoye Asfaw is a member of land administration and use committee at kebele/village level. She and other two female members assisting women landholders who seek justice considering land disputes. She said that the relationship between her and her husband become smooth and he has a good feeling towards a joint titling of land rights and he is convinced that they can strengthen their economical status together; and hence the issue of equality is no more a question.

Generally, after women landholders have received book of holding, they are secured and have the confidence that the land belong to them. The attainment of tenure security initiated the rural farming community in general and the rural women in particular. There is a growing interest of applying inputs and sustainable land management practices to improve their land. The favorable environment created because of the land certification exercises has undoubtedly improved their social and economic status and help them improve their livelihood and send their children to school.

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[1]  Article was abridged by Mr Belayhun Hailu Mamo, Knowledge Mnagement Officer, IFAD Ethiopia Program