Assessing implementation of the Voluntary Tenure Guidelines and the AU Framework and Guidelines for Land Policy; A toolkit approach

ActionAid International has been working over the last few years with women and rural communities to challenge commercialization of land, which leads to loss of their rights to land. The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of tenure of land, forest and Fisheries- VGGTs, together with the AU Framework and Guidelines for land policy in Africa- AU F&G, both provide progressive internationally accepted principles and norms for defining policies and practice for governance of tenure that particularly safeguard the interests of the poor and marginalized land dependent sections of society. To give effect to these guidelines, ActionAid developed a Toolkit for assessing gender-sensitive implementation of the VGGTs and the AU F&G at country-level. The toolkit was piloted in four countries- Senegal, the Gambia, Netherlands and Australia, with key lessons emerging and captured in this report.