Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda Joyce Nangobi Slum Women’s Initiative for Development Pamela Ransom, PhD Metropolitan College World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2015

Goals Organizational Context Challenges Faced Our Solutions Challenges Lessons Learned March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda2

Slum Women’s Initiative for Development Jinja, Uganda Sixty miles east of Kampala Vital advocacy organization Started 2003 Women in slums Mobilize, organize Response to forced evictions March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda3

March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda4 Our Mission and Goals To improve on the quality of lives in Jinja urban slums and rural communities through empowering them to meet their social, political and economic needs in a sustainable manner (SWID, n.d.) An empowered community A home for every women Huairou Commission partner

Challenges for Grassroots Women in Jinja: 2008 SWID Survey Large numbers impacted by HIV/AIDS Increasing rates of divorce leave women without property Increasing numbers of women and child headed households Violations property rights by relatives Women ignorant of inheritance rights March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda5

Grassroots Leadership Case Study: Joyce Nangobi In 2003, realized losing home Land going up for sale From housing to low-wage manufacturing Neighbors in the cold No resources to purchase land No official titles in name for loans Constant threat of eviction Our Choice: Fight or flight March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda6

SWID Baseline Survey 2008 Jinja 192 respondents- mixed male/female 77% had knowledge of property rights/can define violence related to property and inheritance Only 29.2% males vs 47.8% females 10% women sampled had rights violated over property or economic issues 23% of the sample had experienced wives or mothers chased off land Sample of officials report awareness of property rights violations of women and that standards in this area are weak March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda7

Support Systems in Land Struggles for Grassroots Women Jinja sample focus groups, 44 surveys collected by SWID in UNDP/Huairou study The problem: 42% women respondents threatened with loss of property 50% experienced domestic violence Sources of Support for Those Seeking Help: 1 st choice: Village Chief 2 nd choice: Community Paralegals 3 rd choice: Community Organizations 4 th choice: Formal Court March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda8

Revolving Loan Fund Strategy Started 2003 Rotational borrowing Groups of grassroots women members access loans Loan repayments lent to other group clusters Savings and borrowing linked Borrowers required to have 20% savings 160 grassroots women funded March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda9

Our Solutions Revolving Loan Fund Climate Smart Agriculture March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda10

Revolving Fund Status 2015 Fund still operational Continued Huairou Commission support Fund scaled up to three women’s groups : Walukuba Slum Women’s Empowerment Association Budondo Post Test Club Empowerment for Women Association Fund increases as borrowed money/interest is returned Other groups model success with savings and credit strategies Buwenge Development Group for Women Empowerment Kakira Community Initiative for Development and Practical Rural Women’s Association March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda11

Regional Climate Change Challenge Changing temperatures Uganda years –temperature projected to increase o C Floods Droughts Less predictable weather patterns Food insecurity Combined with other regional environmental problems: increasing population growth resource depletion absence of long term planning with respect to sustainable growth March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda12

Women and Climate Change Surveys of farmers in Uganda affirm 99% observe a change in the climate in the last 10 years Research shows male headed households respond faster than females in developing coping strategies CLEAR NEED TO WORK WITH WOMEN ON CLIMATE CHANGE Grassroots women backbone of agriculture in the region March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda13

Climate Smart Agriculture Program March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda14 Started 2011 Program to enhance women’s knowledge and skills Community mapping Two communities Problematic farming methods found Huairou Commission begins funding

The Climate Smart Strategy: SWID Response Demonstration Gardens Educational Training 600 Grassroots Women Farmers March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda15

Strategies for Replication and Training March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda16 Mixed CroppingMulchesTerracingOrganic Manures

6000 fruit trees planted Planted by 210 women Budondo, Buwenga Increases tree coverage Absorbs carbon Improves nutrition March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda17 Fruit Tree Strategy

Energy Saving Cook Stoves 400 out of 600 SWID women Get energy saving stoves Mobile Save 50% cost of fuel Combats increased use fuelwood, charcoal Links to unreliable power generation-lower levels Lake Victoria Forestry cover diminishing with fuelwood reserves March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda18

March 26, 2015Grassroots Women’s Strategies for Secure Tenure and Sustainable Land Use: Lessons from Uganda19 Accomplishments Improving community health Increasing equity Improving income Changing women’s lives Improved resilience Increased empowerment Challenges Resource limitations High demand Old practices/cultural norms Land access Agricultural advisory service limitations Lessons Learned Change gradual Collaboration and partnerships key Need strong leadership Training must be sensitive to women’s complex roles

Thank You 2015