The paper critically engages with sustainable development goal targets (SDG-2- Target 2.3; SDG-5) to examine how and why large-scale agricultural land acquisitions modify the social relations of women’s food access.

This policy brief provides details of the United Nations Special Rapporteur recommendations regarding how governments can upgrade informal settlements within a human rights-based framework.

Despite an inflow of investment in rural communities, there are concerns about negative impacts on local people’s livelihoods, access to farming land, productivity, income levels, food security and access to social services.

The movement to secure women’s land rights in Senegal needs to take into account the rights of all sections of the targeted communities. Hence, the cases presented testify to specific situations along with evaluations of initiatives targeting improvement of women’s land rights.

Government intervention and local level coordination of large-scale investment decisions are important components required for positive impacts on food security, nutrition and livelihoods of host communities.