Advocacy for Women Land Rights and Property Inheritance Rights in Kilindi, Mkinga and Handeni Tanga
Advocacy for Women Land Rights and Property Inheritance Rights in Kilindi, Mkinga and Handeni Tanga
January - December 2010
ENVIROCARE implemented an advocacy project aimed at strengthening women’s access to, ownership of, and control over land and property in Kilindi, Mkinga, and Handeni Districts of Tanga Region.
The project responded to challenges faced by women in accessing land and exercising their inheritance and property rights, including limited legal awareness, traditional practices, and inadequate access to legal support. The project sought to increase knowledge of land and property rights among women, community members, paralegals, law enforcers, and other influential community actors.
Through legal awareness, capacity building, community engagement, and free legal aid, ENVIROCARE worked with communities to promote greater understanding and protection of women’s land and property rights.
What We Did
ENVIROCARE conducted five-day legal training sessions for paralegals, law enforcers, and religious leaders in the three project districts. The training covered key areas of land, inheritance, marriage, human rights, and land dispute resolution.
A total of 135 participants were trained across Kilindi, Mkinga, and Handeni. Community paralegals were established and strengthened to provide legal information, support community members, and refer cases requiring further legal assistance.
The project also used community drama, traditional dances, songs, meetings, and other locally appropriate communication approaches to make legal information accessible to community members. Religious leaders and local government authorities were engaged as important partners in promoting women’s rights and addressing land and property-related disputes.
Project Impact
The project contributed to increased awareness and understanding of women’s land and property inheritance rights among communities in the three districts.
Training strengthened the capacity of community paralegals and local leaders to provide reliable legal information and support women facing land and inheritance challenges. The establishment of paralegal structures also created a community-level mechanism through which women and other community members could access legal guidance and referral services.
The project further strengthened collaboration between communities, paralegals, religious leaders, and local government authorities, creating a stronger foundation for addressing land-related disputes and promoting women’s rights.
Most importantly, the project helped women and communities move from limited awareness of land and inheritance rights towards greater knowledge, confidence, and willingness to claim and protect those rights.
ENVIROCARE ON THE FIELD
Field photos and videos
Group photo with Some of religious leaders in special meeting
during training
Photo show, some participants conveying the message through singing
Group photo with formal Envirocare paralegals unit in handeni.
Left: Front of T-shirts carrying land, property and inheritance rights message for all target groups.
Right: message that reads “write your will, avoid conflicts so as to protect your family”
Left: Back of T-shirt message “Secure and manage the Land for future generation”
Right: Poster stipulating Statutory roles and responsibilities imposed to Local Authorities on managing village land
Left: Poster with a message reading” Application of Customary law should adhere to fair and just decision in distribution of land and property”.
Right: Poster portraying a situation where a person died interstate (without writing and living a will) and family left helpless while relatives grab their property.
Poster sensitizing on women’s right to acquire, own, use and sell or dispose land as provided for under section 3(2) of the Land Act no. 4 and 5 of 1999 (R.E 2002).