MONROVIA- With support from the European Union (EU), ForumCIV and MAP Liberia have ended a day-long policy dialogue to secure land rights for women and rural communities in South-Eastern Liberia.
By Francis G. Boayue – [email protected]
The policy dialogue on women and rural communities’ land rights was held over the weekend at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor, Liberia, and brought together government officials and civil society actors who have relevance to the land sector to reflect on the challenges and prospects for ensuring the land rights of rural women.
The dialogue is part of the European Union (EU) funded project to secure land rights for women and rural communities in South-Eastern Liberia with theme: “Secured land rights for women and rural communities is key to economic and inclusive growth.”
ForumCIV Program Manager Madam Agnes M. Kormon, providing the objectives of the policy dialogue and summary presentation of the policy brief, said the dialogue is part of a three-year European Union-funded intervention targeting 30 communities in Grand Gedeh, River Gee, and Sinoe Counties. It is implemented by ActionAid Liberia as the lead applicant with ForumCiv and Developmental Education Network-Liberia (DEN-L) as co-applicants.
She said the project commenced in 2021 as a flagship program dubbed ‘Rural Women Land Rights’ with the sole purpose of increasing access to land rights for women and young people, strengthening community engagement in decision-making on land use, and equipping CSOs to provide sustainable advocacy for land sector reforms in Liberia.
The event co-convened by MAP Liberia in collaboration with several other major actors for land reform in Liberia, including ActionAid Liberia, has committed to ensure the passage into law of the Land Rights Act for women and rural communities.
Madam Loretta Pope-Kai, the chairperson of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, also called for steps to ensure that women, especially young women, have ownership of land rights that safeguard and promote the rights of women and marginalized communities.
For her part, Madam Ellen O. Pratt, Commissioner of Land Use Planning and Management Liberia Land Authority has assured the authorities’ commitment to work along with the CSOs to know some of the challenges and how it can be mitigated to advance women’s land rights and the rights of all Liberians.
