Supporting rural women’s land rights

In Uganda, full participation in society – including the ability to earn an income – is still
dependent on owning or having the rights to land. Yet in Uganda, discrimination against
women’s rights to property and tenure remains the norm – and the existing policies and legal
frameworks in the Country often provide little recourse for women to realize these rights. With
few paths to land ownership, many women in Uganda are effectively excluded from key
decision-making processes.

For years now, Chapter Fifteen has worked consistently to promote rural women’s legal rights.
Our work takes various forms, from helping women obtain basic government-issued certificates
of Customary ownership to actively increasing their land tenure. We also work at the household
and community level to transform gender norms around women’s use and control of land
through approaches such as household methodologies.
We’ve seen the benefits that come from enabling women to take control of their land rights,
from sustainable management of natural resources, to expansion of women’s business
activities, to better health and nutrition, to women’s increased participation in local and
regional governance.