Sierra Leone News: actionaid report indentifies gaps in Sierra Leone Land Laws ACTIONAIDA survey Report launched by actionaid, identifies lots of gaps in the existing laws of Sierra Leone that impede women’s access, control and ownership of land and property. The launch of this report on Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at the British Council Hall ignited strong agitation from various women’s groups, Civil Society Organizations and Members of Parliament. The report among others, states that women in Sierra Leone face huge challenges when it comes to land rights which leads to poverty for them and their children and that the right to land is almost non-existent for women because the law and local practice often are different. It further states that the devolution of Estate Act, 2007 is often ignored by paramount chiefs as there are no inheritance rights for women and they can be kicked off the land if their husbands die leaving them homeless and jobless. The report challenges that the Provincial Land Act which makes Chiefdom authorities custodians of the provinces greatly impedes on women’s access to and control of land especially in the Northern Region of the country where chieftaincy is reserved only for men as opposed to women. It mentions that the process Draft National Land Policy of Sierra Leone was not properly inclusive as most women’s groups were not consulted stressing that land is a highly sensitive political issue for which the process of developing a policy must be public inclusive and participatory. It explains that the policy on the one hand proposes redress of discriminatory cultures, customs and practices while on the other hand endorses customary law with all its restrictions on the right of women to own land and that the rest of the document seem to recommend the retention of both tenure systems. The Executive Director for actionaid Sierra Leone, Mohamed Sillah noted that there will be reduction in hunger and poverty in the country if the government increases women access and control of land. Sillah acknowledged that the clamour for the rights of women in Sierra Leone is a hard battle and that advocacy groups can succeed if the women participate actively in the process thereby expressing their views on issues affecting them. He disclosed that actionaid’s activity plan for 2014 will prioritize women’s right especially access to and control of land in Sierra Leone. He encouraged parliamentarians and members of the Constitutional Review Committee to provide a revised legislation that favours women’s rights in the country.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 11:28:06 +0000
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