Report: Regional Consultative Meetings on Land - Land Commission

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36 Governance Commisssion - Liberia Annex II: Women’s <strong>Report</strong>
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES FROM WOMEN’S GROUPS In five of the regional consultations, the women participants formed their own discussion group in order to ensure that they would have the opportunity to express their opinions, discussing the same issues as the men. As their responses, perceptions, and ideas were similar throughout the country, these have been aggregated for their report, with local differences noted when relevant. Superintendents were instructed to ensure that women were represented in the county delegations. As with the men, the women came from diverse backgrounds. In the focus groups, women discussed several issues that have an effect on equitable access to land and the security of land tenure. The bullet points below summarize the points that the women brought up in discussion: • Inheritance patterns that pass on land and property rights through men may limit women’s access to land. • Biases against women in land acquisition and security of tenure and that limit women’s access to land. Such biases are more pronounced when a woman does not have a husband or other male relative to speak for them. A woman from Lofa commented: “when you want land, our elders still ask that a man must show his chest”; • Poor women have inadequate financial resources to acquire and own land in contrast to their educated counterparts under statutory law; • Customary laws, social norms, or practices often deprive women (including widows) access to or use of land, restricting their use to the production of annual food crops. Among some ethnic groups, widows may be denied access to land if they have no children for their deceased husbands. A widow may also be expected to marry her deceased husband’s brother (or other male relative) to maintain access to the husband’s property; “City mayors, surveyors and land commissioners apportion land like elephant meat of unlimited quantity: it is cut and sold to whoever has money.” - Woman participant in County-wide consultations • In some cases, women married to “ strangers” may be prohibited from planting life trees or tree crops on family land. On the other hand, men who are “strangers” in a community may gain access to land for farming through marriage to local women; “When you want land, our elders still ask that a man must show his chest.” - Lofa woman • Women, as well as men, generally lack awareness and education on inheritance rights, existing land laws, and advocacy or support options; • Women perceive that some men, especially noted by those from Bong and Lofa, continue to regard women as property. Under customary marriage, a man paid a “dowry” of $40.00 to the bride’s family, often interpreted to mean that a wife is the property of her husband; • Women commented that in the past, women were often “given” to men, especially chiefs Governance Commission - Liberia 37
Page 1 and 2: Report: Re
Page 3 and 4: Acronyms ADR Alternative Dispute Re
Page 5 and 6: Foreword On behalf of the Governanc
Page 7 and 8: The consultations that are summariz
Page 9 and 10: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background In 200
Page 11 and 12: security of tenure. Strangers or ou
Page 13 and 14: BACKGROUND Following the inaugurati
Page 15 and 16: The Consultations Governance Commis
Page 17 and 18: loss of confidence is due to a numb
Page 19 and 20: ty to educate participants on land
Page 21 and 22: punitive taxation, as a deterrent t
Page 23 and 24: Key recommendations were made by th
Page 25 and 26: SUMMARY OF RESPONSES FROM MEN’S G
Page 27 and 28: • For strangers, especially forei
Page 29 and 30: Private Land: • Private land is l
Page 31 and 32: the resources be allotted to the co
Page 33 and 34: • One hundred fifty (150) acres;
Page 35: communities; • Local communities
Page 39 and 40: • • sus on what the limit shoul
Page 41 and 42: • By mutually agreeing on means o
Page 43 and 44: In order to promote investment and
Page 45 and 46: Annex III: Montserrado Discussions
Page 47 and 48: • • • munity Urban: (insuffic
Page 49 and 50: • Government should impose fine o
Page 51 and 52: LAND CONSULTATION DISCUSSION QUESTI
Page 53 and 54: Annex V: Existing Land Disputes Gov
Page 55 and 56: • • • • • • • • •
Page 57 and 58: Lofa County Land Disputes Summary
Page 59 and 60: Annex VI: Excerpts from Opening Sta
Page 61 and 62: There is also an acute shortage of
Page 63 and 64: Regional Breakdown
Page 65 and 66: Annex VIII: Land Issues Steering Co
Page 67 and 68: Fole Sherman UN-Habitat Darlington
Page 69 and 70: Land and Property Rights Issue Issu
Page 71 and 72: • cial holdings and smallholder f
Page 73 and 74: • • • • • • • try of
Page 75 and 76: Copyright (C) 2009 Governance Commi

Report: Regional Consultative Meetings on Land - Land Commission

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