Women’s Land for Peace: Advancing Gender‑Just Land Governance in Sierra Leone

Anita Conteh Kargbo, Green Scenery (Sierra Leone)

Weak and inconsistent land and natural resource governance remain at the heart of inequality and violent conflict in Sierra Leone While women constitute the majority of the agricultural workforce, they are frequently excluded from land governance structures and remain vulnerable to land disputes and dispossession. Despite recent progress in national legislation, women continue to be excluded from land ownership and decision‑making due to weak implementation and entrenched customary laws that often contradict the statutory system (common law). This presentation draws on lessons learnt and recommendations emerging from the UNPBF‑funded Women’s Land for Peace (‘Uman, Land en Kol At’) programme—implemented by Christian Aid and national and women‑led civil society partners in Sierra Leone—Green Scenery, NMJD, 50/50 and WoNES who work across Kono, Kailahun, Tonkolili and Port Loko districts to strengthen women’s leadership in land governance and natural resource management. The project supports women’s participation in community land committees, builds legal awareness, and facilitates dialogue with traditional authorities and state institutions to promote peaceful, gender‑transformative land governance.