Download One Woman, One Hectare of Land

COMMISSION FOR GENDER EQUALITY’S
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
CAMPAIGN
PRESENTATION TO PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND LAND REFORM
BY COMMISSIONER, DR. WALLACE AMOS MGOQI
1
INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENTATION & CAMPAIGN:
To introduce the ‘one woman, one hectare of land’ campaign to
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Land Reform and Rural Development
To appeal to Committee Members to Embrace the Objectives of the ‘One
woman, One Hectare of Land’ Campaign and lobby other relevant
government departments to embrace it.
To solicit support from Committee Members to mainstream gender
equality in government’s land reform programme by pushing for
appropriate policies and legislation to increase women’s access to land
2
OBJECTIVES OF THE PRESENTATION & CAMPAIGN:
Given the tenuous and precarious nature of the relationship between
women and land, always via a father, male sibling, husband or uncle, the
state should have a role in allocating a minimum of one hectare of land or
more, to the very poor women, in urban, peri-urban and rural areas.
Private sector institutions may also participate in this by making land
available for productive and sustainable use, in their own enlightened selfinterest.
The beneficiaries could use the one hectare for housing or growing food,
in a sustainable way.
3
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
 In 2012 the CGE initiated the “One Woman, One Hectare of Land”
Campaign with the aim of fighting for the rights of women to enjoy equal
access to land
 The CGE has been driving the campaign, with the collaboration of the
then Dept. for Women, Children and People with Disabilities (DWCPD), and
now with the Ministry for Women in the Presidency.
While the CGE cannot implement the program, its mandate and
functions include monitoring government departments, other public and
private sector institutions, as well as civil society entities to promote respect
for gender equality and the protection, development and attainment of
gender equality in accordance with the Constitution.
4
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
 The Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) recognises the importance of
access to land as a vital resource to sustain livelihoods for rural households
across the country
Historically, access to and ownership of land in South Africa has been
controlled by males through social, cultural, religious and traditional systems
that entrenched patriarchy – thus denying women access
Apartheid era policies and laws, compounded by social, cultural,
traditional and religious practices within our communities made sure that
women’s access to and control over land was severely restricted over the
years
This is in spite of women making up the vast majority (70%) of the labour
force needed to maintain the productive land and work it both for
subsistence and commercial agricultural farming yet have limited ownership
5
and control over farm land.
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
In 2011 the Commission for Gender Equality published a Research Report
on SA’s Land Reform process from 2000 to 2010.
 The findings, among other things, revealed that women constituted only
13 % of the total number of the beneficiaries of the land reform process
 The findings also indicated that the land reform process was not gender
sensitive, with Communal Property Associations (CPAs) continuing to be
male-dominated.
 Studies have consistently shown that there are higher levels of poverty,
unemployment or underemployment among women than among men.
6
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
Figures from STATSA also show that there are higher levels of poverty
among female-headed households compared to male-headed households
in South Africa
This is clear evidence of the feminisation of poverty in South Africa
This is combined with women’s vulnerability to violence, rape and
HIV/AIDs infections, underpinned by their economic deprivation leading to
financial dependence on their spouses
The One woman One Hectare of Land Campaign is therefore aimed at
addressing the high levels of poverty among women, especially in the rural
areas
7
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
The basic tenets of the “One Woman, One Hectare of Land” Campaign
therefore is for the state to allocate a minimum of one hectare of land to
the most vulnerable rural women, who are ready and able to use it
productively.
While CGE is aware that land ownership in itself will not extricate women
from poverty and dependence on men, state assistance for women to turn
their activities into sustainable businesses that provide sustainable incomes
will be important.
The state has a critical role to play in terms of turning this campaign into
reality
8
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
The CGE has consulted various civil society organisations, particularly
women land advocacy groups (e.g. the Rural Women Assembly of
Southern Africa) and secured their support and endorsement of its “One
Woman, One Hectare of Land” campaign
 The CGE is also convinced that this campaign will resonate with women
in general as it encapsulates their conditions of subjugation especially on
the issue of land.
The CGE does acknowledge that issue of land allocation to individual
women or men, especially in communal areas, has to be approached with
caution and circumspection.
9
“ONE WOMAN, ONE HECTARE OF LAND”
 The CGE does not advocate, in all cases, for full-blown individual
ownership, but some guarantee of land allocation, something more than
the Permission to Occupy, with a guarantee of financial support from the
state upon the production of a business plan.
Also where feasible, land ownership should be extended to women as
individuals or heads of households.
The CGE adopted this Campaign in line with its mandate, which goes
beyond monitoring, to include lobbying and advocacy to promote gender
equality
10
DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN:
This initiative has a huge potential for job creation, in that as soon as land
is allocated, either on ownership, lease or use basis, members of the
community who are unemployed but willing to work, will find work for
themselves;
This will be a black empowerment initiative in so far as it would be targeting
landless and poor communities, principally women, with a view to transferring
land rights and creating an inheritance for their children;
The initiative has the potential for uplifting the community, creating a
dynamic of vibrancy and social cohesion from the youth to the adult
population of the community;
The initiative will allow members of the family to acquire the knowledge
and skills to pass on to the next generations.
11
DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN (cont.)
The initiative presents opportunities for participants to learn about issues of
environmental sustainability and climate change, thus conducting themselves
appropriately;
Introducing One Woman, One Hectare of Land, in the rural areas, and in communal
land jurisdictions, may go a long way towards empowering large numbers of women,
even helping in replenishing the loss of white commercial farmers producing food for
the nation.
As long as land allocation is accompanied by State financial assistance, and nonfinancial assistance to enable those allocated access to land to use it profitably,
productively and sustainably.
The beneficiaries might want to use the land individually or co-operatively.
12
DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN (cont.)
What does research show concerning women and land?
Nourished children, whose mothers own land are 33% less likely to be
severely underweight.
Safer women who own land are up to 8 times less likely to experience
domestic violence.
Prosperous women with strong property and inheritance rights earn up
to 3.8 times more income.
Healthy children in households where women own land are up to 10% less
likely to be sick;
13
DEVELOPMENTAL OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN (cont.)
Educated families where women own more land devote more of their
budget to education;
All this contributes towards a better world
14
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
The African Union has declared 2015 as a year of equality for women,
women’s rights, and women economic empowerment.
AU state parties, private sector institutions and civil society formations are
all expected to put their shoulders to the wheel to ensure that these
objectives are turned into reality.
AU Summit 2015 also surfaced issues of gender inequality and challenges
faced by women in terms of lack of access to land as a barrier to economic
development
In terms of the Agenda 2063 issues, there acknowledgement of the
feminisation of poverty in Africa; and the need to alleviate poverty through
modernised and productive agricultural sector, relying using science and
technology and indigenous knowledge systems
15
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – Goal 5
The UN has now adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and
Goal 5 deals with gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.
Target 5.a states: “Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to
economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land
and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural
resources, in accordance with national laws.“
This is a very important target in the promotion of gender equality,
especially in the area of historic injustices suffered by women with regard to
ownership and control of land and other forms of property.
16
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
The Campaign is underpinned by provisions supporting gender equality as
contained in a number of domestic legislative frameworks, as well as a
number of regional and international instruments as referred to below:
Domestic Legislative Frameworks:
Section187 (1) of the Constitution which states, “The Commission for
Gender Equality must promote respect for gender equality and the
protection , development and attainment of gender equality”.
The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act 4, of
2000 (PEPUDA).
The Commission for Gender Equality Act No. 39 of 1996
17
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
S.11 of the CGE Act No 39 of 1996, as amended, confers the following
additional powers and functions:
•Monitor
•Investigate
•Research
•Educate
•Lobby and Advocacy
•Advise Parliament and report on issues on gender equality.
18
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
Regional & International Frameworks/Protocols/Instruments:
In addition to the Constitution and domestic laws, the following regional
and global instruments apply:
The UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women
(CEDAW), in Article 14 (g), makes provision for “access to agricultural
credit and loans, marketing facilities, appropriate technology and equal
treatment in land and agrarian reform as well as in land resettlement
schemes.”
 The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on
the Rights of Women in Africa, (Article 19 on the Right to Sustainable
Development) says:
19
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
Regional & International Frameworks/Protocols/Instruments:
“Women shall have the right to fully enjoy their right to sustainable
development. In this
connection, the State Parties shall take
all
appropriate measures to
(c) promote women's access to and control over productive resources
such as land and guarantee their right to property”.
(d) promote women's access to credit, training, skills development and
extension services at rural and urban levels in order to provide women
with a higher quality of life and reduce the level of poverty among
women.”
20
INSTRUMENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND
Regional & International Frameworks/Protocols/Instruments:
The SADC Protocol on Gender and Development makes provision for
access to property and resources as follows:
“State Parties shall ... review all policies and laws that determine access
to, control of, and benefit from, productive resources by women in order
to:
(a) end all discrimination against women and girls with regard to water
rights and property such as land and tenure thereof;
(b) ensure that women have equal access and rights to credit, capital,
mortgages, security and training as men, and
(c) ensure that women have access to modern, appropriate and
affordable technology and support services.”
21
THE ROLE OF OTHER RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS
The CGE believes strongly that as the key institution in this sector the
Department of Rural Development and Land Reform has a primary
responsibility to ensure that right of women to equal access to land is
realised
Other key ministries of government including relevant sphere of
government (national, provincial and Local government) should also
play their roles in others sectors such as water, economic
development, finance and business development to facilitate
women’s access to other vital support services to ensure that their
access to land is sustainable in the long term.
In particular, municipalities have under their jurisdictions
commonages which have not been fully utilized, let alone to benefit
the poorest of the poor.
22
THE ROLE OF OTHER RELEVANT INSTITUTIONS
Equally institutions of Traditional Leadership in many communities
across the country have an important role to play as they have under
their jurisdictions large tracts of land which have not really benefitted
women or women-headed households optimally in the past.
The CGE also expects financial services institutions (like commercial
banks) and private sector entities to play a key role in facilitating
access to property/land and credit facilities and other financial
services for women intending to enter into agribusiness/farming
23
LESSONS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
Experiences of farmers who became the beneficiaries of land reform
initiatives in some African countries such as Kenya and Zimbabwe identified
a number of important lessons:
1. Money, knowledge of farming and skills development for the new farmers
are an important pre-requisite
2. The importance of developing a business plan for farming
3. Re-investment of the resources back into the farms
4. Importance of hard work and for the new farmers to live on their farms
 All these factors are important in terms of improving the prospects for the
success of the new farmers
24
USING THE LAND IN THE CONTEXT OF FARM
WORKERS AND FARM DWELLERS
Farm workers and farm dwellers are one of the most oppressed and
exploited sectors of our society, that could benefit handsomely from the
implementation of One Woman/ One household, One Hectare of land.
The State has so far used labour legislation, like the Labour Tenants Act and
the Extension of Security and Tenure Act, but there has been no reciprocity
on the part of farm owners. Instead they embarked on casualisation of
labour, as well as externalisation of labour , through labour brokers.
The time is ripe for government to use its muscle as did previous
governments, by acquiring land on behalf of farm workers and farm dwellers .
25
CONCLUDING REMARKS
As stated at the beginning, the intention of this presentation is to introduce
the “One Woman, One Hectare of Land”, and its Objectives, to the
Members of this Portfolio Committee to secure their support and assistance in
realising the goal of gender equality in the allocation of land,
Also, to obtain the support of the members in lobbying relevant government
departments and state entities, including all spheres of government, to
introduce the necessary policies and legislations to promote gender equality
and women’s rights in land allocations
26
The End
Every woman, in every village, in every hamlet,
in every part of the country, who receives the
allocation of land, will say:
“This land you have given me is pleasant land.
What a wonderful inheritance!”
THANK YOU!
Commission For Gender Equality.
27
Thank You
HAVE A GENDER RELATED COMPLAINT ????
REPORT IT TO
0800 007 709
Twitter Handle @CGEinfo
Facebook: Gender Commission of South Africa
28