General

The overall aim is to improve household livelihood for rural communities in a set of communities in the north-Ethiopian Tigray region, by supporting community-based woodland restoration and woodland ecosystem services development. The major objectives are (i) to boost woodland ecosystem restoration on large and highly degraded areas by management of exclosures and forest relicts; (ii) to improve resilience to land degradation and store carbon in the restored woodlands; (iii) to support ecosystem services development (a.o. increased availability of fodder, firewood provision and grassy biomass; erosion reduction; honey and/or frankincense production). The interventions will lead to the following specific (quantifiable) targets: (1) Increased area of better managed community woodlands; (2) Increased inclusive and participatory established woodland area with increased water infiltration, soil moisture and reactivation of springs1, less land degradation (desertification) activity and water runoff – which will create resilience against the effects of recurrent droughts; (3) A social shift towards stable feeding, as fodder can be derived from grass harvested from the exclosure; and (4) Sequestration of carbon, mainly through increases in above- and belowground biomass.

General

Le programme vise (Outcome) au développement des opportunités économiques des femmes rurales par un renforcement de leur pouvoir d’agir dans la filière laitière locale et la gouvernance foncière. Il s’appuie pour y parvenir sur l’atteinte de 5 résultats complémentaires qui opérationnalise la théorie de changement: (1) les organisations paysannes et deux ONG de soutien travaillent à réduire les inégalités de genre à l’interne, dans leurs programmes et via leurs revendications politiques, (2) les agriculteurs familiaux et en particulier les femmes rurales actives dans la chaîne de valeur « lait local » développent leurs activités économiques et des pratiques durables (production, transformation, commercialisation), (3) les agriculteurs familiaux des communes d’intervention, et principalement les femmes, renforcent la compréhension de leur droit à l’accès sécurisé à la terre, et des mécanismes à leurs dispositions pour le faire respecter,(4) les organisations partenaires ont développé un travail d’influence, en réseaux avec d’autres organisations de la société civile (plaidoyer/campagne), envers les décideurs et le secteur privé à différents niveaux (local, national et régional), et (5) les partenaires renforcent leur fonctionnement et développent leur capacité. L’intervention implique directement 6 partenaires, ONG et organisations paysannes au niveau local, national et régional ouest africain. Trois parties prenantes concourent aussi directement à l’intervention.

Objectives

Développement des opportunités économiques des femmes rurales par un renforcement de leur pouvoir d’agir politique et économique dans la filière laitière locale et la gouvernance foncière

Other

Le programme contribue au cible 1 du Cadre Stratégique Commun Burkina Faso : « Promouvoir avec la participation des femmes et des jeunes un secteur agricole performant, durable et basé sur l’agriculture familiale au sein d’une économie rurale inclusive et assurer la sécurité alimentaire. »

Target Groups

Femmes rurales et agriculteurs familiaux ; membres, élus, directions et personnels des organisations partenaires.

General

Despite their critical role in promoting food security on the African continent, women continue to be marginalized in the distribution and allocation of land. The implications for both family survival and national food security are far-reaching. This project will support research to examine the conditions needed to allow women to become empowered to participate in large-scale land acquisition (LSLAs) processes. The objective is to help ensure that sub-Saharan Africa puts the legal and policy frameworks in place to foster better accountability and legitimacy on issues of land governance. African women must continue to engage in food crop farming to ensure food security for their families and for the continent at large. This is only possible if their right to land is protected, respected, and fulfilled. Previous studies have shown that African women's right to land is seriously under threat. Traditionally, African women have not had equal access to land and weak land laws and governance processes related to LSLAs are further eroding their access. We are now learning more about the impact of LSLAs on livelihoods in affected communities but little evidence exists on gender differences. Little is also known about how African women have developed strategies to foster more equitable land governance policies and practices to ensure greater accountability and transparency around LSLAs. This research seeks to fill these knowledge gaps. The ultimate goal of the project is to promote land governance policies that treat both genders more equally and that contribute to greater accountability and transparency around LSLAs. The research will be implemented in six communities in three African countries: Ghana, Cameroon, and Uganda. All three have experienced LSLAs. The research team will explore the following: -land acquisition processes; -winners and losers in these transactions; -ways in which the losers (specifically, rural African women) respond to their situation; and, -extent to which these responses are successful. The project will create gender-sensitive evidence-based knowledge that can be used by women, local communities, non-state actors, and public authorities to enhance accountability and legitimacy in LSLAs processes. It will also propose gender inclusive strategies for formal and informal institutions that will respect, promote, and protect women's rights in LSLAs processes.