Across the developing world, rural women suffer widespread gender-based discrimination in laws, customs and practices cause severe inequalities in their ability to access, control, own and use land and limit their participation in decision-making at all levels of land governance. This synthesis of submissions resulting from a consultation, to which 19 members, partners and individual experts from the International Land Coalition’s network responded, highlights the centrality of women’s land rights and of gender justice for achieving the aims of CEDAW and to promote and protect women’s human rights in general.

Contributors to the consultation emphasised the need to achieve de facto equality, the diversity of rural women and tenure, as well as the importance of women’s participation in land governance. Participants also place great expectations on the forthcoming General Recommendation on the Rights of Rural Women as a critical tool to advance women’s land rights and address the complex challenges and opportunities facing rural women, including by giving new momentum to international and national policy agendas. The synthesis closes with specific recommendations to the CEDAW Committee to reaffirm women’s land rights as a fundamental human rights issue for rural women.