Marked every year on October 15th, the International Day of Rural Women commemorates the critical role and contribution of rural women including; indigenous women, in enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and eradicating rural poverty ahead of the World Food Day.
This year’s theme “Financing Rural women’s Empowerment” aligns with one of the Stand for Her Land Campaign Uganda initiative dubbed “Grassroots Women leaders Academy” which is one of the activities of empowering rural women.
The Stand for her land campaign Uganda has been organizing grassroots academies with the aim of bridging the implementation gap on Women’s Land Rights in Uganda by strengthening grassroots women’s participation, voice and agency in land governance in the four (4) regions of Uganda including; Eastern, Northern, Central and Western.
Participants attend the Grassroots Women leaders Academy for the Western Region in Kabale and pose for a group photo
Over 90 grassroots women leaders from organized women groups and Community Based organizations from the districts of Kumi, Soroti, Amuria, Busia, Moroto, Napak, Kotido, Kaabong, Butalejja and Bugiri.Bugiri, Butaleja Mubende, Mityana, Kassanda, Masaka, Kampala, Lira, Zombo, Dokolo,Amolatar, Kabale, Kisoro, Mbarara and Ntungamo have been trained on the most needed topics related to advocacy and leadership such as;
- Coalition and movement building
- Gender and Women Land Rights
- Power and Empowerment
- Communication, Lobbying and Advocacy
UCOBAC Executive Director, Ms Frances Birungi facilitates a session at the Grassroots Women Academy
The key outcome for participants during the Academies was to develop district specific advocacy action plans that will feed into the national life of the campaign workplan.
One of the most outstanding issues highlighted by the Women during the development of these advocacy action plans was limited access, use and control over land and yet secure land rights are fundamental to the empowerment of rural women who majorly depend on agriculture.
When rural women have equal access, use and control over land, they can be more economically independent, contribute to food security and have greater say when it comes to making decisions on land and produce once cultivated. This will translate into empowerment and welfare for rural women, and contribute to food security for households and sustainable land use.
As we celebrate Rural women, their empowerment will require groundbreaking approaches such as the Grassroots Women Academies because equipping them with knowledge and skills will help them become self-reliant and play a significant role in their communities’ development.
Additionally, these academies will help promote gender equality and social empowerment fostering positive change in rural areas.