Responsible land governance is key to provide the right incentives for restoration and to make restoration benefits reaching those who invested in it. Insecure land rights by women continue to pose a challenge in this regard. At the last UNCCD COP, parties to the convention took the landmark decision to acknowledge the centrality of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Land Governance for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality. At the same time, project implementers often claim that restoration projects become too complex, if they are to include land governance components also. Part of the GLF’s “Measuring Progress” learning track, this session will present community-driven social innovations for the recognition of land rights of women in Kenya and Burkina Faso: intra-household tenure agreements and community-led land lease guidelines. Given their strong reliance on communities in the implementation, these social innovations can be implemented in the context of restoration activities.

Speakers:
– Violet Shivutse, Founder and Coordinator, Shibuye Community Health Workers
– Larissa Stiem-Bhatia, Project Coordinator, TMG Research
– Marcos Montoiro, NGO and Civil Society Liaison Officer, UNCCD Secretariat

Facilitated by Jes Weigelt, Head of Programmes, TMG Research

Main Session: Soils as keystone for food security and ecosystem restoration