The Land Tenure Security Advantage presents an overview of IFAD’s engagement in securing land tenure for the rural poor, specifically through the lens of its mainstreaming priorities for inclusive and sustainable rural transformation: gender equality and women’s empowerment, youth employment, indigenous peoples, and climate change and the environment.

The report first presents the importance of land tenure for global commitments relevant to IFAD’s mandate, together with some important challenges. It then explains how IFAD is tackling those challenges.

Five case studies from each of IFAD’s regions of intervention illustrate IFAD’s support for land tenure security in practice. Lastly, the final section looks ahead to new initiatives.

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) recognizes women’s role as farmers and in food security/nutrition and secure land tenure as central to this. Countries are required to take measures necessary to achieve the effective equality of rural women in relation to land and natural resources, and put in place strategies to address discriminatory practices that impede their rights.

This includes paying special attention to customary and land tenure systems, to ensure that they do not discriminate against rural women, and raising awareness about rural women’s rights among policymakers and leaders including traditional, religious and customary leaders. Legislation should guarantee rural women’s rights to land, water and other natural resources on an equal basis with men, and indigenous women in rural areas should have equal access with indigenous men with regard to ownership and possession of and control over land, water, forests, fisheries and other resources.Adapted from CEDAW (2015), General Recommendation 34.