This technical guide on Governing land for women and men aims to assist implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (FAO, 2012b) by providing guidance that supports the Guidelines’ principle of gender equality in tenure governance. At the beginning of each module, reference is made to the relevant provisions in the Guidelines. The guide focuses on equity and on how land tenure can be governed in ways that address the different needs and priorities of women and men. It moves away from long-standing debates about gender equality in access to land, towards the mainstreaming of gender issues to achieve more gender-equitable participation in the processes and institutions that underlie all decision-making about land.Gender equality is one of the ten core principles for implementation of the Guidelines and is closely tied to three others – human dignity, non-discrimination, and equity and justice (Box 1).

This guide focuses on gender-equitable governance of land tenure; it therefore does not embrace the full scope of the Guidelines, which also cover governance of tenure of fisheries and forests. However, the broad principles of gender-equitable participation to governance processes are applicable to fisheries and forests as well (particularly as these interface with land) and interesting lessons can be drawn for wider use. The guide provides advice on mechanisms, strategies and actions that can be adopted to improve gender equity in the processes, institutions and activities of land tenure governance. It does not include an in-depth discussion of all the outcomes of these processes and institutions, but provides useful recommendations as basic guidance.

On 11 May 2012, the Committee on World Food Security endorsed the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (the Guidelines). Based on the principles of sustainable development and in recognition of land’s centrality to development, these Guidelines are intended to contribute to global and national efforts towards the eradication of hunger and poverty by promoting secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests.This technical guide on Governing land for women and men aims to assist implementation of the Guidelines’ principle of gender equality through the achievement of responsible gender-equitable governance of land tenure.

To help identify good practice for responsible gender-equitable governance of land tenure, a technical workshop was held in May 2011 at FAO Headquarters in Rome. “Governing Land for Women and Men – a Workshop on Gender-Equitable Governance of Land Tenure” brought together land sector practitioners from government, civil society and the private sector around the world to share practical, hands-on experiences and approaches to improving gender equity in land tenure governance. The outcomes of this workshop have contributed immensely to enriching this guide.

Historic decision on land tenure adopted by UNCCD COP 14 ​​​​​​​. During a high-level session at the close of the UNCCD COP 14 (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Conference of the Parties) in September, a declaration to focus on land-based solutions to combat climate change was adopted. In the declaration, the relevance of the VGGT was reaffirmed for better access, control and stewardship over land and equitable tenure security. It encourages parties to use the principles laid out in the VGGT in the implementation of activities to combat desertification/land degradation and drought.  In closing the session Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD, emphasized that the key message to the upcoming UN climate summit in New York was clear, “investing in land, unlocks multiple opportunities.”

FAO was invited to produce a technical guide on integrating the VGGT into the implementation of the Convention and land degradation neutrality, taking into account national contexts for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth session.

Land Tenure. Draft decision. COP 14  
The New Delhi Declaration: Investing in Land and Unlocking Opportunities
UNCCD website