Influencing Land Rights for women Karatu District

In rural Tanzania, particularly in Karatu District, land is a crucial asset that supports livelihoods and enables individuals and households to expand their economic opportunities. Most Tanzanians living in Karatu are farmers who obtained their land through long-standing customary norms. However, weak land rights protections and a lack of documented ownership or use rights have long been seen as a source of local disputes, a constraint to how farmers use and invest in their land, and a barrier to household economic growth. A lack of land documentation in these communities limits the participation of women and other vulnerable groups in agribusiness, and women often face higher risk of disenfranchisement of their land rights.

We still depend on our finding (Assessment of Land Ownership to Women, Karatu, TAJPI 2019) which indicates that the majority of women within villages are illiterate; unaware of any existing entitlements and lacking in sufficient assets to fight for their rights, and that their involvement in land administration institutions is limited. At the family level, daughters and women are deprived of any right to possess land either through inheritance or whatever because relatives believe they will be married to other.

As a local pioneer in fighting against violation of human rights in general and peace justice and integrity in particular TAJPI designed this initiative that aims to facilitate land formalization and acquisition of Title Deeds to 100 women from Karatu District. Since its launching, the project has achieved some milestones, regardless of financial inability we encounter. Most of the contribution we received to attain these milestone was in-kind basis.

For this third quarter, we have managed to conduct several meetings with community members in Kainam, Kilimatembo and Rhotia village, we also facilitated the availability of title deeds for other two (2) women from Kainam Village namely Annastazia Hatsinay and Paskalia Bura.

The beneficiaries thanked TAJPI to help them to get the Title Deeds. For example Paskalina Bura said “I’m so glad, because I can now go to bank to apply for loan to expand my business”

We would like to take this platform to ask our kind supporters continuing to support us so that we change the lives of these marginalized women.

Availability of fund will allow TAJPI to reach its target (as our target is to facilitate availability of Title Deeds to 96 remained women)