Report of the National Conference: Women's Property Rights ... - FAO

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also traditional land administered by chiefs. Village headman apportions land to buildhouses, plant and grazing communal areas. There is no title to the land.There has always been a grave at the Chilala’s property that was buried in 1938. Sincethat time no graves had been situated in their property until the brother to the deceasedstarted burying as punishment. As a way forward, the matter has gone to local courts,magistrate’s court and the land’s tribunal held that it did not fall within its jurisdictionand no assistance was given.Exploration of avenues other than litigation perhaps through the Royal Foundation ofZambia. If the Royal Foundation of Zambia succeeds, it will set a precedent whichlawyers should be used. The Chieftainess indicated that if the matter has to go to court,they will look to the recommendations and the conclusions of the Royal Foundation ofZambia.The group agreed for the following steps to be taken in addressing Mrs Chilala’s case:1. Colonel Mudenda and JWOP to write a letter to Royal Foundation of Zambiaexplaining the case. The letter will set out in detail facts of the case and that she isprepared to move a little within the same area but burial should discontinue.2. Royal Foundation of Zambia will correspond with JWOP and make a visit to MrsChilala’s place.3. Donors would then be solicited to fund the trip.34
Annex 2: Press release, Opening and Closing Speeches, StrategicFrameworkPress ReleaseOn the 25-27 January a National Workshop on Women’s Property Rights andLivelihoods in the context of HIV and AIDS took place at Lusaka’s MulungushiInternational Conference Centre. Opening the Workshop, the Deputy Minister ofCommunity Development and Social Service, Mr. S. Mukuka, drew attention toparticularly vulnerable groups, widows and orphans, noting that the HIV and AIDSpandemic is increasing their numbers and that they face injustices “mainly due totraditional practices which have continued despite the HIV and AIDS pandemic”.The organizers of the Workshop, Justice for Widows and Orphans Project (JWOP),Zambia Law Development Commission and the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) brought participants from five countries together to share their experiences and toexamine and devise practical solutions to the enormous difficulties faced by women inthe context of gender discrimination, land rights and increasing HIV and AIDS infection.A central focus of the workshop was the plight of widows and orphans, often cruellydispossessed of their properties and thus their livelihoods in the midst of bereavement.Present at the workshop was Mrs. Chilala, a widow currently living with seventeengraves in her backyard. These have been placed there by her brother-in-law inpunishment for her refusal to marry him and revoke her rights to her homestead.Although laudable work has been done on her behalf by organizations like Justice forWidows and Orphans Project (JWOP), she has so far obtained no relief. Participants atthe workshop appealed to the Royal Foundation of Zambia to intervene and resolve thematter. Litigation strategies were also examined as a way of offering relief to the manywomen who find themselves in similarly desperate circumstances.Other outcomes of the workshop included the proposal for the formulation of appropriatenational policies, with sufficient funding and implemented across ministerial departmentsthat address customs, practices and laws that disadvantage women and children inparticular. One such law is Zambia’s Intestate Succession Act, which although seekingto improve the position of widows and children of the deceased, nonetheless can go muchfurther in protecting their properties and livelihoods.Conference discussions also drew attention to the fact that wills are infrequently made,leading to much confusion at death. The need to draw communities’ attention to theimportance of these documents and how they themselves could draft a will wasemphasized. Although much discussion was directed at efforts to empower women andchildren, conference discussion was also directed at ways in which communities andpotential perpetrators might come to better understand the particular difficulties andvulnerability of women and children.35
Page 2 and 3: Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 4 and 5: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONSCOHRE:ESCR:FAO
Page 6 and 7: 2.0 Welcome and Opening RemarksFlor
Page 8 and 9: 3.0 Legal issues of women’s prope
Page 10 and 11: grabbing. The category of widows an
Page 12 and 13: 4.3 Rights of widows and orphans in
Page 14 and 15: Chieftainess Nkomesha proposed that
Page 16 and 17: I used the pension money from my la
Page 18 and 19: among female-headed households. The
Page 20 and 21: 7.3 Zimbabwe Republic Police Progra
Page 22 and 23: discovered through the Home Based C
Page 24 and 25: Gradually, the marriage became viol
Page 26 and 27: Act has a number of gaps in terms o
Page 28 and 29: move a little, within the same area
Page 30 and 31: • National Gender policy in need
Page 32 and 33: Why these targets?Policy makers•
Page 36 and 37: The workshop concluded with partici
Page 38 and 39: Distinguished guests, ladies and ge
Page 40 and 41: • Third, ways must urgently be fo
Page 42 and 43: • Continue sharing experiences•
Page 44 and 45: inspiring testimonies from Uganda,
Page 46 and 47: STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK ON HOW TO MOVE
Page 48 and 49: Annex 3: Workshop Programme and Lis
Page 50 and 51: List of participants, organizations
Page 52: Moreen Mudimba Ntengwe Orphan Manjo

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