Advancing Gender Equality in Land Governance: NELGA Good Practices

Across Africa, land governance is closely intertwined with cultural, social, economic, and political realities. While women play a central role in agriculture and natural resource management, their access to and control over land often remain limited due to structural inequalities, discriminatory legal frameworks, and harmful cultural practices. Limited participation in decision-making processes and restricted access to information and empowerment tools further exacerbate these challenges. Recognizing these barriers, the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) has been actively working to strengthen women’s land rights through capacity development, research, and policy engagement.

Through the SLGA, NELGA and its partners have implemented several initiatives aimed at advancing gender-responsive land governance. One notable example is the training programme led by the Eastern Africa NELGA Node at Ardhi University in Tanzania. The programme organized regional and local trainings that equipped land practitioners, local leaders, and government officials with the knowledge and tools to integrate gender perspectives into land governance. These trainings reached participants from multiple East African countries and strengthened awareness of women’s land rights, decision-making participation, and gender equality in policy and practice.

NELGA has also promote women’s leadership in land professions. The inaugural African Women Land Professional Associations Conference in Dar es Salaam brought together diverse stakeholders to address gender disparities in land-related professions and foster new partnerships. In addition, NELGA continues to promote female researchers through initiatives such as the DAAD Post-Doctoral Fellowship programme and gender-responsive academic programmes.