PHOTO: James Pewee, Action Aid Program Manager
ActionAid Liberia has ended a four-day Capacity Building training at the Zwedru youth Building with stakeholders under its newest three-year project to secure Land Rights for Women and Rural Communities in 30 Communities in three counties.
The communities are in Grand Gedeh, Sinoe, and River Gee Counties.
And the project runs from February 2021 to February 2024, with funding from the European Union EU Respectively.
According Mr. James Pewee, Action Aid Program Manager, The project will target six (6) community Land Management Development Committees (CLMDC); 20 Civil Society Organization CSO/ Community Based Organization CBOs, Rural women and youth Network working on land Rights in these counties; 300 traditional and local leaders, 150 local authorities, concession and private sector companies working on land Rights of customary land, and 3,600 smallholder farmers.
Mr. Pewee said: The project will build the capacity of CSOs/CBOs, Rural women and Youth Network, and Communities’ structures on the land Rights Act in order to be independence passing on the knowledge to women, Men, and Youth for equal participation in the Land Rights Act decision making process, adding that the action will create the conditions for increased community engagement in decision-making on land use, especially using community Land Management development structures and equip CSOs to provide sustainable support.
The Action Aid official noted that technical support will improve Land Authority and traditional Leaders’ understanding of women’s land rights, and enhance their capacities in Gender responsive land use planning and governance to protect and increase the land rights of smallholder farmers.
In particular, he said it is women under the Land right Act (LRA), Community structures including community Land Management development structures (CLDMCs) and land commissions will be supported to establish and strengthen dispute resolution and governance structures that ensure full participation and representation of communities and their free prior and informed consent in matters of land allocation and management of land rights issues.
Mr. James Pewee at the same time stated that project will increasing access to land rights for women and young people, strengthen community engagement in decision making on the uses of land and equip CSOs to provide sustainable land sector reforms in Liberia; to provide capacity building training for CSO/CBOs and Networks on the provisions of the 2018 Land Rights Act; To provide capacity building training on customary and women’s land rights, capacity building on land administration and governance; at same-time build on the process of CSI with emphasis on obtaining tribal certificates, and statutory deed.
Manager Pewee added the project on securing land for women and rural communities has set up an advisory board and monitoring team and training of local authority for feedback mechanism.
He said the advisory board comprises of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasure and Champlain amongst participant for both district and county leaders respectively, adding that the leadership will help to buttress the effort of the project team as advisory board and monitoring team in the implementation of the project.
The participatory capacity building training was observed by over forty (40) participants from Civil Society Organizations, Community base Organizations youth and women groups in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County.
Manager Pewee thanked the participants and called on Local Authority, CSOs, CBOs, youth and women groups and Traditional Leaders for their immense contribution, support, and participation in the implementation of the project, with specific focus on securing land for women and rural communities in the south east Liberia.