Engendering Access to Justice: Grassroots women’s approaches to securing land rights Presented by: Veronica Kanyongo - Seke Rural Home Based Care & Hospice, Zimbabwe

Participatory Action Research 7 countries, 12 implementing partners from Women’s Land Link Africa (WLLA) Cameroon: -Ntankah Village Women Common Group Initiative Ghana: -Grassroots Sisterhood Foundation Kenya: -Groots Kenya Tanzania: -Maasai Women Development Organization Uganda: -Action for Women in Awakening in Rural Environment -Slum Women’s Initiative For Development -Uganda Community Based Association for Women and Children’s Welfare Zambia: -Katuba Women’s Association Zimbabwe: -Ntengwe for Community Development -Ray of Hope Zimbabwe -Seke Rural Home Based Care & Hospice -Zimbabwean Parents of Handicapped Children Domboshava, Zimbabwe (Oct 2012)

Research Questions What is community justice from grassroots women’s perspective? What strategies and approaches they use to achieve it? Grassroots Women’s Approach 1.Examine overlapping & disjointed legal frameworks 2.Increase community awareness of gender justice 3.Build new partnerships with a variety of stakeholders 4.Design and implement new community justice mechanism and processes 5.Review, analyze and align cultural practices with constitutions to deal with cultural practices

CHALLENGES Rapid urbanization HIV and AIDS Large scale land acquisition & Land Grabbing

Case Study: Seke Rural Home Based Care & Hospice Women leaders discusing and mapping out strategies on how to have traditional leaders buy-in to womens’ land and propety issues

Case Study: Seke Rural Home Based Care & Hospice Seke Rural Caregivers marching through the township mobilizing the community to join the at the Arena where they are going to talk about Wills writing and Inheritance

Methodology Community Mapping Local to local dialogue Community Justice Volunteers (Community Paralegals) Community Watchdogs (Whistle Blowers) Partnerships with key stakeholders