Pathways to adopting African continental guidelines on women’s land rights to strengthen women’s tenure security

Context and background A typical character of land tenure or property systems in sub-Saharan Africa is that the systems exclude women (implicitly and explicitly) (Chigbu, 2019). Over the past twenty years, several African countries have done some efforts towards improving the state of women’s land rights as a means to achieve gender equality in land ownership. The problem is that, there is no research paper that has analyzed these efforts at sub-regional levels (North, Central, West, East and Southern Africa), by providing data on these sub-regional efforts (best practices and successful interventions) jointly made to achieve gender equality in land ownership. Objective and research questions: This paper seeks to provide analysis and understanding on how these sub-regional efforts can be used as triggers to pave the way for the adoption of a gender-focused continental guidelines on women’s land rights in Africa. Our research is centered around the following two joint questions: What are the efforts done at sub-regional levels to strengthen women’s land rights in Africa and what mechanisms can be put in place to pave the way for the adoption of a gender-focused continental guideline? Methodology: Using case studies and best practices from the five African sub-regions, our research adopts an approach that collected and analyzed data from existing policy documents, laws, academic papers, and other materials through a desk review on women's land rights and land tenure security. In this paper, we discuss the current state, gaps, challenges and opportunities in strengthening women's land rights in North, Central, West, East and Southern Africa, by highlighting the main best practices which can pave the way for a future without gender inequalities in land ownership. This review was conducted from January to September 2024. Results: The results obtained from my analysis are: the mechanisms for implementing women’s tenure security; the tools for codifying women’s land tenure; and the monitoring progress for strengthening women’s land rights in Africa. These mechanisms, tools and monitoring processes can serve as a trail (pathway) to the design and adoption gender-focused continental guidelines on women's land rights in Africa. These mechanisms are the main recommendations of my research work. Therefore, if adopted and enforced at the continental level by the African Union, these mechanisms, tools and monitoring processes can guaranty an equal ownership to land between men and women in Africa. Keywords: Pathways, gender equality, women, land rights, best practices, land governance, land policies, gender-focused, continental guidelines)