Nigeria Develops Gender Responsive Action Plans On Land-restoration

The Nigerian government says it is developing policies, action plans, and land-restoration programs that are gender-responsive.

The National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change in Nigeria and the National Policy on Agriculture would help in enhancing food security.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr Ibrahim Yusuf stated this at the World Desertification and Drought Day National Dialogue Workshop, held in Abuja the nation’s capital.

He noted that women are agents of change and drivers of climate change adaptation as well as sustainable development.

“Gender-responsive land and forest sector laws, policies, strategies and interventions that protect and enhance women’s rights and access to restored land are important for women’s effective participation in land restoration,” said Yusuf. “Towards this end, the government has developed and/or developing policies, action plans, and land-restoration programs or initiatives that are gender-responsive such as the Gender-responsive and Transformative LDN program in Nigeria, National Action Plan on Gender and climate change in Nigeria and the National Policy on Agriculture with the aim of enhancing food security,” Yusuf said.

He however said that he was optimistic that the dialogue will bring needed solutions to all the issues faced by women in today’s society.

“Championing effective laws, policy and programmes in the area of women’s access to productive resources and land must take cognizance of the fact that women are not a monolithic group and must also embrace women’s inherent diversity.

They should reflect the fact that women may be differentially impacted by intersectional and multiple forms of discrimination.

“In particular, when it comes to issues of land, women are differentially impacted by discrimination related to marital status, economic status, widowhood, abandonment, racial/ethnic identity, health status, disability, age, sexual orientation and displacement’’ said Yusuf.

Gender inclusivity

Mr Yusuf further stressed that Nigeria as a country and a party to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification is expected to consider and domesticate decisions of the conference of the parties, one of which is responsible land governance and tenure rights that are gender sensitive to enhance livelihoods and well-being of women and the vulnerable groups and encourage inclusive participation of stakeholders in sustainable land management.

He said that government must find ways to promote women’s access to, use of and control over land and other productive resources because it is essential to ensuring their right to equality and an adequate standard of living.

“These resources help to ensure that women can provide for their day-to-day needs and those of their families and to weather some of life’s most difficult challenges. Women’s access to land and other productive resources is integrally linked to discussions around global food security, sustainable economic development, as well as the pressing fight against the HIV epidemic and prevention of and responses to gender-based violence.’’

Combatting desertification 

The Director General National Council on Climate Change, Mr Salisu Dahiru said that the Council will continue to work together and collaborate to ensure that the objective of combating desertification is achieved.

According to him, respecting gender alone is not going to be sufficient, but what will be sufficient is designing programmes that ensure women are given the specific role to be able to own, control and manage the land for the family, and for the environment.

“For the National Council on Climate Change, we operate under the guidelines of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, UNFCCC, and that convention has a specific section that is focused on gender.

“In fact, there is a specific negotiation platform that is devoted to those gender issues, gender mainstreaming, for countries like Nigeria that are suffering the impacts of climate change, beyond what developed countries are doing” He said.

He also reiterated the UNFCCC commitment to implementing and addressing the issue of gender and giving women the pivotal role to play in driving this process in the country.

Equitable access to land 

Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw, said improving women’s land rights means enhancing food security.
“On this year’s Desertification and Drought Day, we are mobilizing the international community to support women’s rights, human rights and support more equality and dignity in the world.’’ 

He added that securing women’s land rights is an immediate necessity of the UNCCD collective journey towards sustainable land management and sustainable food production, which is a critical step towards achieving broader Sustainable Development Goals SDGs.

Mr Thiaw also noted that by increasing women’s land rights with equal access to land, women could produce twenty to thirty per cent more food to support sustainable development across our planet.

“Investing in women’s equal access to land is not just an act of justice, it is an investment of our future, a commitment to the prosperity of our planet. It is an affirmation of the difference. Today, we are holding a mirror to the world that reflects the disproportionate impacts that drought, desertification and land degradation have on women and girls. Our goal is to break down the barriers they face in decision-making on land issues, setting precedents for the world. On this year’s Desertification and Drought Day, we put a spotlight on the absolute rights of women and girls in all parts of the world to help secure equitable access to lands.’’ 

The National Project Coordinator Agro-Climatic Resilience for Semi-Arid Landscape ACRESAL, Mr Abdulhamid Umar said the ACRESAL project provided the avenues for women to have access to land, to restore the land, to make money and livelihood out of the land.

He said ACRESAL has provisions to support government departments, ministries and parastatals involved to ensure that policies that support women are empowered.

Mr Umar said ACRESAL is also working with the legislature to ensure that laws are strengthened for it to deliver on the needs of women.

The National Dialogue has the theme “Her Land, Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals.”

 

 

 

 

Emmanuel Ukoh