By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh
Monrovia -The Women’s Land Rights Task Force (WLRTF) has begun taking more intentional steps to help rural and semi-urban women and young girls understand their rights and existing national laws and policies that protect and give them the rights to own land.
The WLRTF with support from ActionAid Liberia in partnership with Women Care Initiatives (WOCI) has concluded the training of two communities, creating awareness on land rights and gender safe guard.
This was part of the observance of the 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign designed to create public awareness to protect girls and women all around the world against gender-based violence.
The two days training benefited residents of Peace Land Community, Mount Barclay and Peace Community, in Caresburg rural Montserrado, with women accounting for more than 98 percent of the overall beneficiaries.
During the separate training in Careysburg bug, and Mount Barclay, women and other community residents were taught about the Liberia Land rights Act of 2018, with emphasis on women’s inheritance rights, as well as statutory land laws and how these land rights legal documents protect women against discrimination and provides them the opportunities to own, and manage lands.
Participates were also educated about safeguarding polices and general protection issues.
Speaking during the awareness sessions WLRTF programs coordinator, WLRTF’s program coordinator, Joscious Ballah, Ballah drilled the participants through the types of land acquisition that existed long before the amendment and passage of the land New Land Rights law which she noted the old law limited women’s access and discriminated against their rights to land ownership.
However, Ballah fast registered the progress that have been made since the passage of the 2018 Land Rights Law which now recognizes and gives women the full rights to own and manage lands.
She named the four types of land ownership under the new law private land, public, community, and government lands. Ballah also used the occasion to encourage women to always endeavor to have copies or photocopies of any land deed they own jointly with their relatives or with anyone.
Doing so she added puts women in a better position not to be violated, denied, or discriminated in land distribution and ownership claims.
“At the time of the old land rights law, women were left out, communities were left out and more to even speak of transferring lands from ancestors, it was all given to men, but with this new land rights law, you as woman, whether educated or uneducated, this new land says you can now earn land, serve as land administrator, and do just what men can do with land.” She told participants.
She went on further cautioning women as saying,
“Whoever you have land acquisition with or purchase, whether your spouse, relative, or business partners, make sure to always have a photocopy of the land deed yourself. Don’t ever give it up because that is your voice and your power.” Ballah told the women across the two communities befitting from the awareness.
Also leading one of the sessions during the awareness, the executive director of Women Care Initiatives (WOCI), madam Jenneh Paye enlightened by informing them that ‘women are equally legally recognized as full members of their communities whether by both birth or by marriage and as such, women have the right to participate equally in land-related decision-making.
“You women have the same equal rights as men to make decisions when it comes to land ownership, because when we are talking about community members, you are part of a community and the law protects you and gives you the same equal eights.” Madam Paye told the women. Women should take active roles in land governance and community leadership.
She encouraged women to ensure their full, individual names are explicitly listed on any joint land deed, moving away from the non-specific and legally vulnerable.
The sessions featured interactive discussions, real-life case studies, and a question- and answer segment during which participants raised concerns about marital property, inheritance after divorce or death, and land disputes.
Facilitators provided explanations based on the provisions of the Land Rights Act. Participants welcomed the initiative, noting that many had limited prior knowledge of their land and inheritance rights.
Several women expressed commitment to sharing the information with other women in their communities to promote wider awareness.
The awareness campaign underscored the importance of land rights education as a tool for addressing gender-based violence and discrimination against women.
WLRTF and WOCI reaffirmed their commitment to continued community engagement aimed at strengthening women’s land rights and promoting gender equality in Liberia.
The training was geared at strengthening women’s Land Rights to address gender-based violence under the theme: “Unite to end violence, protecting all women and children in our communities and digital spaces- land rights.”
The overall objective of the community land rights awareness was to improve women’s understanding of gender, safeguarding, and the land rights laws, including inheritance rights statutory land laws, and protection against discrimination.
