The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Oyam, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Land and Equity Movement in Uganda (LEMU) has incorporated clan, religious, and local council leaders in its quest to promote women’s land rights.
Through the “Stand for Her Land (S4HL)”, a campaign being coordinated by Uganda Community-Based Association for Women and Children Welfare (UCOBAC), LEMU is conducting Social Norms Transformationdialogues with clan, religious, and local council leaders in the districts of Otuke and Oyam.
These dialogues provide a platform to discuss more effective strategies to advance women’s land rights in Uganda through collective locally developed and driven efforts.
Jane Ekayu, LEMU’s Programs Officer Northern Region explained that the selected leaders hold significant cultural and political influence in land allocation within families and the community as a whole.
According to her, sensitizing this group who are closely connected to women at the community level will greatly enhance justice for women.
Ekayu says the collective engagement with the selected leaders will facilitate documentation of norms and practices that prevent women from accessing and enjoying their rights on the land.
Ritah Kemigisa, the Advocacy and Communication Associate, Stand for Her Land Campaign Uganda believes that such dialogues will help the leaders understand both the law and the discriminatory norms preventing women from enjoying their land rights.
Ojok Orukubade, the deputy clan chief of Atek Odyek-owidi clan is happy that such an initiative has been taken saying the leaders must now start addressing the issue of boundaries which to him is the highest cause of land conflicts in Lango.
Margret Akello, the area LCI chairperson of Awino village in Otwal sub county said such dialogues equip leaders with new information and laws regarding customary land ownership which she said is a big challenge. Adding that some cultural leaders who would participate in land grabbing from widows due to ignorance will now stop.
However, Walter Obong, the area councilor Agwar parish, Aleka sub-county in Oyam district is skeptical about the impact of such an initiative. Adding that even the much-advocated land registration is causing more conflicts among neighbors.
Over the years, LEMU has been contributing towards the recognition and protection of land rights, reducing inequality in customary land rights and preventing dispossession of the most vulnerable people such as women, youth, the elderly, and the rural poor.
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