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Securing Land Tenure in the Context of Women Empowerment

GC 24 SIDE EVENT: Securing Land Tenure in the Context of Women Empowerment

16 April, 2013 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Conference Room 11: UN Complex, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya

Overview:

In line with the theme for the 24th Session of the Governing Council, “sustainable urban development: the role of cities in creating improved economic opportunities for all, with special reference to gender and youth,” this side event aims to gather key GLTN partners in addressing the issue of improving women’s access to economic opportunities, particularly with respect to acquiring land and property rights.

The side event is organized by the Huariou Commission, as the chair of the GLTN urban civil society cluster, and supported by the GLTN Secretariat in UN-Habitat. It will be participated in by UN-Habitat officials and key staff members, representatives from the GLTN partners such as the International Land Coalition, LANDESA, Slum Dwellers International, International Federation of Surveyors, SIDA, Government of Norway, as well as the grassroots women’s groups member of Huairou Commission that have conducted participatory action research on a wide range of communities driven tools and strategies of approaching tenure and women’s security that considers the challenges grassroots women and poor communities are grappling with in an evolving context of local, national and regional land governance.

This session will discuss key characteristics of secure tenure that need strengthening and current good practices that work for women in various socio-economic context. At the same time, participants will share the outcomes of the Technical Dialogue on Women’s Secure Tenure at the World Bank Land and Poverty Conference, April 8-11, 2013 and the discussions generated within the overall conference to better reflect, priotirize and agree on the on way forward.

This will also be a dialogue to introduce the Global Initiative on Women’s Secure Tenure led by the Huairou Commission to be built on as platform and a call for action for multiple stakeholders working on different aspects of secure tenure for women to come together to name and collectivize the different elements that we have realized thus far and have grassroots women identify the gaps in praxis.

Objectives of the side event:

  1. To highlight grassroots women’s innovations in securing tenure in and outside of formal systems and the process by which they are developed and implemented;
  2. To develop a common understanding on what security of tenure means for women in different situations;
  3. To coordinate joint knowledge and awareness activities through joint partnership; and,
  4. To draft a partnership plan

DRAFT AGENDA

4:30-4:35 – Welcome Remarks from the Chairperson, Teo Chee Hai: Chairperson, International Federation of Surveyors
4:35- 4:40 – Opening Statement: Anne Beathe Kristansen Tvinnereim, State Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Government of Norway
4:40-4:50 – An Overview of key characteristics of secure tenure that need strengthening and the best practices that need advancing: A Report back from the World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2013 Clarissa Augustinus, Unit Leader: Land and Global Land Tool Network Urban Legislation, Land and Governance Branch , UN-Habitat
4:50-5:00 – A Report on the Highlights of Technical Dialogue on Women’s Secure Tenure Jane Katz, Habitat for Humanity (TBA)
5:00-5:10 – A Presentation on Global Initiative on Women’s Secure Tenure of the Huairou Commission: Mapping of Possible Entry Points for Collaboration over the next three years Jan Peterson, Chair of the Huairou Commission
5:10- 5:25 – Discussion
5:15-5:30 – Closing Remarks: Ms. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General for UN-Habitat