'Unresolved land conflicts burden women'

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Unresolved land conflicts and grabbing have remained persistent, with reports of local communities losing land to powerful individuals, private investors, and even government-backed projects.

These acts have not only led to displacement and worsened economic vulnerabilities, but also contributed to growing tensions and human rights violations in many regions.

A case in point: Last year, an elderly woman in Mbarara city appeared in a viral video, in which she was seen being handled roughly by plainclothes officers over alleged trespass on land for which she held a Letter of Administration.

Executive Director Landnet Uganda Lilian Achola addressing Journalists in a press Conference on Friday 7th March, 2025 at Eureka Place in Ntinda. (Photo by Miriam Najjingo)

This incident and other similar ones highlight the use of force in land dispute resolution and the difficulty vulnerable populations, particularly women, face.

On Friday (March 7), civil society groups dealing in land matters held a joint press conference in Ntinda highlighting the plight of women.

They included representatives from the Stand for Her Land Campaign, National Land Coalition, and Women's Land Rights Movement.

Lilian Achola, the executive director of LandsNet Uganda, said the fight against injustices has proven to be an uphill battle, especially in matters to do with excessive use of force against women.

She said women are the primary cause of social development, starting with the family setup, and if they are deterred, nothing influential happens.

John Mwebe, a member of the Women's Land Rights Movement, said women are pivotal in land development and can easily create ripple effects compared to their male counterparts. 

He added that women can easily farm yields, and if they have full land rights, conflicts can easily be managed.

Mwebe John, a member of Women Land Rights Movement ( addressing Journalists in a press Conference ahead of Women's day on Friday 7th March, 2025 at Eureka Place in Ntinda. (Photo by Miriam Najjingo

Whereas agriculture continues to be the backbone of the Ugandan economy, where women provide the bulk of the labour force (70 percent), Mwebe said it is disheartening that only 27 percent of landholders are women, citing data from the June 2023 Uganda National Land Information System.

He said women’s participation in land management processes is often limited due to deeply entrenched discriminatory cultural and social norms, conflicting tenure regimes (both statutory and customary), limited funding for gender-responsive land services, an expensive and complex justice system, and a corrupt, bureaucratic land administration system.

Research has consistently shown that securing women’s land rights generates positive ripple effects across families, communities, and economies. 

These include increased household income, better nutrition for children, greater decision-making power for women, reduced gender-based violence, improved agricultural productivity, and overall economic development.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Report of 2011 estimates that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, such as land, they could increase yields on their farms by 20 to 30 percent, potentially resulting in 100 to 150 million fewer people suffering from hunger worldwide.

The 2023 Gender Snapshot has since warned that over 340 million women and girls, an estimated 8 percent of the global female population, will live in extreme poverty by 2030. 

Nearly one in four will experience moderate or severe food insecurity. 

This underscores the fact that securing women’s land rights is not only a matter of gender equality but also an urgent social, economic, and developmental issue.

Mwebe said despite significant progress in promoting gender equality, women continue to face disproportionate challenges in accessing, owning, and controlling land.

Continued struggle

Caroline Kayanja, the senior programme officer of the Uganda Community-Based Association for Women and Children's Welfare, said over the years, women have continued to face significant violations of their rights, particularly concerning their ability to own property and assets, access land justice, secure land rights, and ensure their right to shelter.

She said that despite ongoing advocacy for gender equality and women’s empowerment, these fundamental rights remain largely out of reach for many women in Uganda and worse for those in the rural areas.

Mwebe John, a member of Women Land Rights Movement (Centre) with Lilian Achola (Right) and Stella Rose Akutui (Left) of Landnet addressing Journalists in a press Conference on Friday 7th March, 2025 at Eureka Place in Ntinda. (Photo by Miriam Najjingo)

Accordingly, the challenges are worsened by the deep-seated patriarchal values and practices putting land ownership largely in the hands of men, with weak rights for women to manage, own, control, or make decisions about land they have worked on for years.

The fight for justice has proven to be an uphill battle for many women, as they face both legal and societal obstacles when seeking redress for land disputes and other rights violations.

As Uganda celebrates International Women’s Day on Saturday (March 8), civil society organizations reaffirmed that securing women's land rights is essential in accelerating gender equality and is a critical step toward the achievement of sustainable development goal (SDG) five.

They said that when women secure land tenure, they are empowered to lead, make long-term investments in agriculture, innovate, and contribute to the sustainable development of their homes, communities, and the country at large.