Decentralisation, Local Rights and the Construction of Women’s Citizenship: A Comparative Study of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania

In July 2008, Centre for Basic Research launched a project on women’s land rights in East Africa. The project entitled: ‘Decentralization, Land Administration, Local Rights and Construction of Women’s Citizenship’ was supporeted by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The overall objective of the project was to investigate how decentralization of land administration and management systems in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania affects women's land rights.
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• To investigate how the decentralization of land administration systems shapes women’s entitlement to land (access to, use of and control over land), and affects their social citizenship;
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• To examine the capacity of women’s organizations to pursue women’s claims for land rights and how they interact with institutions of power and local levels; and,
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• To investigate emerging cultural and political trends under decentralization and how these impact on women’s claims on land rights.
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The research was concluded in 2013 with the following products:

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UGANDA

\r\nMaureen Nakirunda: Decentralised Land Administration and Women’s Land Rights in 1. Uganda: Legal Provisions, Institutions and Processes

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Josephine Ahikire: Cutting the Coat according to the Size of the Cloth: Decentralisation and Women’s Agency on Land Rights in Uganda

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Richard Ssewakiryanga: Women’s Land Rights and the Local Face of Culture in Uganda

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KENYA

\r\n Karuti Kanyinga: Kenya’s Land Administrative System and Implications for Women’s Land Rights

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George Michuki : Culture and Localised space for women?s land rights in Kenya

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TANZANIA

\r\n Sherbanu Kassim : Decentralisation of Land Administration and Women’s Rights in Tanzanian: The case of Mvomero District

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Hosting Open Debates (Barazas)

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As a means of sharing topical ideas with the citizenry, CBR hosts Barazas (public meetings/debates), an activity which aims at bringing together the various stakeholders in to freely share information and knowledge.

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