News on Land

The Ministry of Land and Natural Resources is advocating the prioritisation of gender and land rights for equitable development.

In a speech read on his behalf at the opening of a two-day orientation workshop for gender officers involved in land administration and representatives of civil society organisations (CSO) with focus on women’s land right, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John -Peter Amewu, said that was because gender incorporation had been on the development agenda of the country.

As the world marks International Women's Day on Wednesday, six women from different countries in Southeast Asia received recognition from advocacy group Amnesty International for their "heroism" in standing up for human rights despite the criminalization and violence they have faced.

The group recognizes the six women, who have long fought against injustice in each respective country, as figures that "inspire many in the region and whose contributions to society should be commended; not condemned".

Chengetai Zonke lost much of her maize crop to drought last year. When it came to planting again, she decided to reduce her stake in what has become a recurrent climate change gamble.

At her homestead in Chiware, in Zimbabwe’s northeastern Manicaland Province, the 52-year-old farmer explained why. “I’ve abandoned tilling the bigger fields to avoid the risk of putting more land under crops that may fail due to lack of rain or too much rain,” she told IRIN. “Replanting costs money, which is scarce.”

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Mokoro is pleased to share news of the successful completion of fieldwork in the fourth of six phases of our WOLTS pilot study in both Mongolia and Tanzania. WOLTS is a major multi-country strategic action-oriented research project in support of the land rights of women and vulnerable groups. The WOLTS team is well underway with preparing two major reports of our country research findings, to be launched, respectively, in May and June this year.

Date: 6 March 2017

Source: peoplesworld

The Wayúu indigenous people make up nearly half the population of La Guajira department in Colombia’s extreme northeast. They won’t be finding much peace from the agreement Colombia’s government and FARC insurgents signed in late 2016 to end their war. The government’s chief negotiator, Humberto de la Calle, said as much in 2012 when negotiations were beginning.

Date: 5 Match 2017

Source: Dhaka Tribune

The proposed law has been jointly prepared by Manusher Jonno Foundation, Indigenous People Development Services (IPDS), Brotee, Gram Bikash Kendro, and Jatiya Adibashi Parishad.

Indigenous leaders and NGOs have demanded that a draft law proposal protecting the rights of 38 plain land indigenous communities be placed in parliament in the current session.

Date: 6 March 2017

Source: rioonwatch

By: Monique Barbut

Date: 6 March 2017

Source: IPS

International Women’s Day this year focuses on economic empowerment in the changing world of work. The vision is to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women and girls by 2030. Girls’ aged three will become adults with a legal right to work in 2030. Together, with those aged up to 10, these girls are the prime target for gender equality by 2030.

Application Closing Date - 12 Mar 2017

Job Start Date - 05 Apr, 2017

Duration - 5 April to 27 April 2017

Location - Remote

Transparency International (TI) is the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption. Through more than 100 chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, Germany, TI raises awareness of the damaging effects of corruption and works with partners in government, business and civil society to develop and implement effective measures to tackle it.

Date: 3 March 2017

Source:Global Voices 

Below is an edited version of an article by Laura Salas originally published on Witness. It is republished on Global Voices with permission from the author.

By: Samira Larbie

Date: 3 March 2017

Source: GBN

Senye Wuo II, Adumadum Awisahene of Akyem Awisa, has asked government to show more commitment to land right issues to enable rural women farmers to have access, own and control land.

She said this was important as the impact of women related issues had not been felt as it should in the country thereby worsening their plight as far as land acquisition was concerned.    

Date: 2 March 2017

Source: Telesur

The Indigenous and Afro-Colombian community of Marmato won a major court victory in their 10-year fight against a massive Canadian gold mine.