Abstract:
For agrarian societies, access and ownership of land plays a key role in the production process in developing countries like Uganda where rural livelihoods depend almost entirely on farming (agricultural produce) derived from the land. Many academics and women activists have stressed the importance of equitable land distribution between men and women as a way to promote production. This is partly because ensuring the protection or women’s land rights has enabled even the most vulnerable rural women, widows and those with orphans, to derive a more secure livelihood from farming. This study selected the case of Kamuli District in Eastern Uganda, an area where women's land rights have not yet been given much attention in practice. This study focuses on women’s awareness in Kamuli District on how the existing legal and institutional frameworks can be supportive to the women’s access to land. The study explored the level of knowledge of rural women about then' existing land rights and actions being taken to help overcome obstacles that limit their access and ownership of land. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents (around 60%) had experienced land disputes involving gender issues, and that about 90% were aware of the existence of women's land rights as codified and legislated by the laws of the Republic of Uganda. The study also found that local council courts and district land boards were important when it comes to settling land disputes in Kamuli district. Finally, the study found that women's fight to protect and claim their land rights have generally been effective (in three quarters of all cases). However, women's struggles for equal' access and ownership of land arc being affected by corruption, which is prevalent within the judicial system.
Furthermore, their struggle to exercise and realize their right to land is also exacerbated by the high level of women's poverty. The study concluded that there is need for women to have more interest in their own rights to land, and that this should involve specific ownership and user rights, as well as improved customary access to land, specific measures from various institution's is needed to help ensure that awareness Women participation in decision making on matters related to land is sealed.
