Blogs & Opinions

Liberia: Denied for Decades, Women Lead Land Rights Campaign in Bong

Oct 8, 2019 | Mae Azango

Gormah Mulbah and her five children were thrown out of their home last year after her husband died. Her late husband’s family was angry she…

Empowering Africa's Women Farmers

Oct 7, 2019 | Ruth Meinzen-Dick

More than 60% of all employed women in Africa south of the Sahara work in agriculture. Yet the region’s women farmers often reap a meager…

Land Reform Has Failed the Women of South Africa

Oct 7, 2019 | Sobantu Mzwakali

The government’s plan to combat the plight of women’s landlessness has been shown to have borne little fruit thus far, when the report of the…

For Bosnian Women, No Justice—and No Seats

Oct 3, 2019 | Riada Asimovic Akyol

Both men and women suffer the consequences of wars, but conflicts and humanitarian disasters around the world tend to disproportionately affect women and children. Additionally,…

Custom, Caste System Deny Land Rights to Asian Women, Indigenous People

Oct 2, 2019 | Rina Chandran

Women, lower-caste and indigenous people across Asia are failing to benefit from land reform laws because of custom and deep-rooted social biases, land rights activists…

The Hidden Work of Post-Conflict Recovery

Oct 2, 2019 | Jay Lingham and Melissa Johnston

Sri Lanka 2011. It is two years since a brutal civil war ended, with the UN reporting tens of thousands of civilians killed in the final…

This October on Agrilinks: The Role of Gender in Agriculture

Oct 1, 2019 | Krista Jacobs

Gender influences which crops are grown, which animals are raised, and which technologies are used. It influences how households earn a livelihood and manage risk,…

Taking SDG 5 (Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment) Seriously in the Forestry Sector

Sep 30, 2019 | Carol Colfer and Dominique Lyons

In the lead-up to the 25th IUFRO World Congress being held in Curitiba, Brazil from 29 Sept. to 6 Oct., a group of scientists from around…

From Commitment to Action: Inclusion of Women's Voices in Commonwealth Priorities for Gender Equality

Sep 30, 2019 | Myn Garcia

Women from across the Commonwealth met in advance of the 12 Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (12WAMM) on 16 and 17 September to discuss policy recommendations to accelerate national, regional, and global action…

Reclaiming the WPS Agenda: it's Time to Talk About the Elephant in the Room

Sep 27, 2019 | Mohbuba Choudhury

Displacement levels in Bangladesh as a result of the influx of Rohingya refugees has had a detrimental impact upon the local environment. The arrival of…

This Land Is Ours: New Law Could End Age-Old Injustice Faced by Liberian Women

Sep 17, 2019 | Alexandra Benjamin

Lofa County, Liberia – Ten women are gathered in the open-air concrete slab building that serves as a community center for Gbonyea, a village a few…

Gender, Environment Complex Connections Hold Back Prospects for Sustainable Management

Sep 17, 2019 | Gibson Mhaka

In an office just a few minutes away from the city centre in Ramallah, Dr. Ayman Rabi scurries to submit a report on the latest…

How Feminist Research Will Help Solve the Climate Crisis

Sep 17, 2019 | Maria Tanyag

As the impacts of global warming are already being felt and we are warned of the irreversible impacts, Maria Tanyang tells us why women’s situated knowledge…

When It Comes to Addressing Climate Change, Gender Matters

Sep 16, 2019 | Andrew Urevig

Most low-income people world wide are women, and many women face gender discrimination in addition to poverty. Both factors mean greater vulnerability to extreme events…

Is Environmental Peacebuilding the Answer to South Sudan’s Conflict?

Sep 12, 2019 | Marisa O. Ensor

September 12, 2019 marks one year since South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and former Vice President-turned-opposition leader Riek Machar signed a new peace agreement. The…

UNCCD Global Mechanism Addresses Gender Equality in LDN Initiatives

Sep 12, 2019 | Leila Mead

6 September 2019: The Global Mechanism of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has published a briefing note and manual to advance gender equality…

Let's Get Climate Action Into Traction with Gender Equality

Sep 11, 2019 | Anita Bhatia and Ulrika Modeer

Climate change is already altering the face of our planet. Research shows that we need to put all our efforts over the coming decade to limit…

Securing Better Land Rights for Women Farmers in Kenya and Burkina Faso

Sep 11, 2019 | Douglas Donnellan

In Kenya and Burkina Faso, accessing land for agriculture can be a major challenge for women due to poor governance and gender inequality. According to…

Improving Access to Land for Women in the Arab World: Policy Options and Tools for Triggering Social and Economic Development

Sep 11, 2019 | Everlyne Nairesia, Sina Schlimmer and Ombretta Tempra

It is estimated that in developing countries, women are responsible for the production of 60 to 80 percent of food and yet, they rarely own…

Making Their Voices Count: The African Women Protecting Their Land Rights

Sep 10, 2019 | Philippine Sutz

Ashura Juma Mnaula lives in the village of Marumbo in Tanzania. The divorced 38-year-old has three children and, like many women in her community, looks…

To Build Peace, Boost the Women Who Lead the Movements

Sep 10, 2019 | James Rupert

mages of this year’s grassroots movements for social and political change—such as the ouster of authoritarian rulers in Sudan and Algeria—reiterate that women worldwide are…

Why Gender Matters in Climate Adaptation

Sep 10, 2019 | Bernadette Resurreccion

Climate change will not affect people equally. Those living through its most adverse effects will have contributed least to the problem and have fewer resources to adapt…

Joining Forces to Empower Women in Senegal

Sep 9, 2019 | Maggie May

Where are the effects of climate change felt the strongest? 

West Africa shoulders some of the heaviest impacts created by climate change, particularly in communities where…

CoP: Only 25% Nations Include Gender Discussions in Land Degradation Targets

Sep 9, 2019 | Shagun Kapil

Only around 20 of more than 80 countries have included discussions on the role of gender and women in their targets to halt land degradation…

If Women, Peace and Security Agenda Is to Be More Than Words, Congress Must Stay Engaged

Sep 4, 2019 | Sahana Dharmapuri and Hans Hogrefe

On paper, proponents of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the U.S. have a lot to celebrate. Twenty years after the international community…

South Africa: How More Women in Agriculture Will End Food Security, Tackle Land Reform

Aug 8, 2019

Addressing gender disparities in the agricultural sector is a prerequisite to increasing women and youth participation in the sector, creating much-needed employment opportunities and ensuring…

Support African Women Working in Agriculture

Aug 8, 2019 | Esther Ngumbi

As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month, the country will reflect on the progress made in achieving gender equality and main-streaming the gender agenda across all…

Women's Participation in Myanmar's Peace Process

Aug 8, 2019 | Akanksha Khullar

For years, women in Myanmar have been powerful advocates for comprehensive peace and good governance, calling for reconciliation and democratic transition; demanding legislations that protect…

Agriculture's Secret Weapon: Empowering Women

Aug 6, 2019 | Patrick Galey and Laure Fillon

Women farmers face the brunt of the threat posed by climate change, yet they may hold the key to helping limit its fallout, according to…

Women, Land and Conflict

Aug 1, 2019 | United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs

Land is part of our identity and is essential for our livelihood. With a growing world population, available land is growing scarcer, becoming even more…