African Woman and Child Feature Service

Land Rights Project

ENHANCING WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO LAND AND PROPERTY IN LINE WITH THE NEW CONSTITUTION

African Woman and Child Feature Service undertook to carry out the project: Media Based Advocacy to Enhance Women’s Rights and Access to land and Property in Line with Kenya’s New Constitution because of the realization that there is need to create awareness among men and women alike, as there is a glaring lack of gender and human rights awareness of the serious repercussions that the denial of women’s rights continue to have and of the possible strategies towards actual implementation of these rights on the ground. In addition, many women do not have information, confidence, experience and resources to obtain what they are legally entitled to.

That women lack sufficient knowledge about the rights they have under the law to own land and property. Rural, illiterate women do not even have access to the new constitution which guarantees them these rights. There is need for a continuous nationwide public education and civic information program to confront cultural barriers and practices that impede women’s access to land and property rights. If the application of the constitutional provisions that guarantees equitable access to land and property is not handled appropriately, domestic violence may escalate, families may break up and violence may increase significantly within families and communities.

The project goal was anchored in the rationale that there is need to enhance the full realization of women’s land rights is a long-term process and that advocacy and education and the role of the media is key in support of women’s land rights is crucial, given the deep-rooted cultural norms and practices which underlie discrimination in land tenure.

Project Duration: May - December 2011

Project Details

Project Duration

June 2011 - December 2011

Project Partners

Kenya Pastoralists Journalists Network (PAJAN) Media Diversity Content Centres

Project Beneficiaries

Women, men, Civil Society Organizations, media industry, journalists and Editors, Community Leaders, marginalized communities, Policy Makers and the General Public

Project Activities

a) Production of an information tool-kit which easy to read package information on gender analysis on the land chapter, and what it means in terms of land rights, ownership for and by women, security and income, This will also involve advocacy tool for the local communities on how to engage on land issues and a comprehensive package for media on key issues on women and land rights

b) Development of a media advocacy plan with several media activities both at national and vernacular stations for the sensitization of women on how to use the new constitution to address severe obstacles to accessing their new formal land and property rights enshrined in the new constitution to improve their claim to rights.

c) Media activities in radio, TV, newspapers and meeting with the Editor’s Guild and journalists both at national and in 8 Provincial headquarters to sensitize opinion leaders and traditional leaders on women’s property rights to promote fairer and more equitable distribution of land in order to facilitate civil order, peace and economic growth.

d) Hold Land rights debates , 2 on TV and six on radio which will be translated into 6 major languages to be aired in the vernacular stations to promote debate and awareness on land rights amongst the public, policy and decision makers and other stakeholders both at the national and the community level.

e) 24 opinion articles on women and land rights in the major newspaper and a special pull-out of REJECT on women and land with an aim to enhance public vigilance on the provisions of the land rights in new constitution.