The Statement on the Platform
Women’s Land and Water Rights in Southern Africa (WLWRSA) is a regional organisation, founded in 2002and registered in 2003 under a Deed of trust in Zimbabwe (Deed No: 1094/2003). The organisation was established to advocate for women’s land rights at national and regional levels, to enhance their contribution to food security and sustainable livelihoods. This was after realising that, although women form the majority of the farmers they are however marginalised in terms of access to, control and ownership of land. The organisation focuses on land and water because they are the most important and inseparable productive resources, which form the basis for successful agricultural production, leading to food security and sustainable livelihoods. Therefore, it is the organisation’s mandate to contribute to poverty reduction to achieve Goal one, three, six and seven of the MDGs. The organisation seeks to engage with the Regional and Pan African blocs to address the issues of integration of land and water for food security and sustainable livelihoods. The organisation also seeks to engage the Regional and Pan Africa blocs to create a conducive legal and policy framework to promote and protect women’s land and water rights in the sub-region.
The Vision
- Integrated land, water, gender and related rights in southern Africa.
The Mission Statement
- To enable women to attain food security and sustainable livelihoods and development through access to, control and ownership of land and water in southern Africa.
The Vision and Mission Statements are supported by four Strategic Goals, which are:
- Integrate land and water resource rights in women’s agricultural development for the attainment of household food security and sustainable livelihoods.
- Enhance women’s access to, control and ownership of land and water rights in southern Africa through, national, sub regional and continental policies.
- Contribute to the promulgation, harmonisation and implementation of gender sensitive legislation on land and water resources at the national, regional and continental levels.
- Enhance the capacity of the organisation.
The Values of the Organisation
- Equality
- Equity
- Dignity
- Professionalism
- Commitment
- Non – Partisanship
The Programs of the Organisation
WLWRSA programmes are as follows:
- Research and Documentation
Research forms part of the core business in the organisation. Under this programme the organisation undertakes research into the needs of women in terms of their access to, control and ownership of the key factors of production and how this would contribute to attainment of food security and sustainable livelihoods. The research under taken is action oriented and assists in analysing policies. The findings are used to influence policy formulation at national and regional levels.
2. Food Security and Integration of Land and Water Resources
This programme is used by the organisation to involve the intended beneficiaries of policies through practical projects that will be a showcase to indicate the shortcomings or strengths of the policy framework. The organisation implements smallholder irrigation projects focussing on women in the marginal regions of member states. The smallholder irrigation projects are meant to improve the livelihoods of the communities especially women. The projects also contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS; achieved through the attainment of food security and sustainable livelihoods.
3. Capacity Building and Training
This programme provides the organisation with an opportunity to build the capacity of its constituency in the relevant areas of need .Of note is the building of the constituency in agro- based skills that will assist them to turn largely subsistence farming into commercial farming. The capacity of the constituency in policy formulation, advocacy and lobbying skills as well as in entrepreneurial skills and management of the environment to preserve the ecosystem for sustainable livelihoods will also be built.
4. Advocacy and Lobbying
Under this programme, WLWRSA will engage with the Regional and Pan African blocs to influence policy making and this will be anchored on the research that the organisation undertakes. Therefore the research findings play an important role in influencing policy review, formulation and implementation.
6. Information and Communication
The information and communication programme is the mouthpiece of the organisation that will allow it to communicate with the out side world. The programme is used to disseminate information on the researches that the organisation undertakes, publish materials in the form of monographs and policy briefs. The web site will be one of the tools to disseminate information and communicate with stakeholders at National and Regional level.
7. Monitoring and Evaluation
In this programme, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms will be used to take stock of how the member states, the region and Pan African blocs would have integrated women and gender issues into the management and utilization of land and water resources and the impacts on sustainable livelihoods. The mechanisms will also assist to put in place norms, standards and principles that will ensure economic integration of land and water resources in the region.
The organisation has four Units, which are:
- Research and Documentation Unit.
- Advocacy and Information Unit.
- Food Security Unit.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Unit.
NB-The Finance and Administration section supports these Units
Governance
A Board of Trustees governs the organisation. They are drawn from the member states and are responsible for the organisation’s policies. The Trustees also represent the organisation in their countries as ambassadors.
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