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Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP, FCT) has asserted that women are responsible for about 70 per cent of all agricultural labour in the country, but less than two per cent are landowners.
In her submission during the 2023 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, with the theme ‘Her Land, Her Rights: Advancing Gender Equality and Land Restoration Goals’, she noted that 70 per cent of men own the farmlands.
According to the senator, there is a huge gender gap in global land ownership, adding, however, that the gap refers to the unequal access, ownership and control of land between men and women.
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The gap, she added, is a systematic issue rooted in social norms, discriminatory laws and cultural practices that limit women’s rights to own, inherit or use land, perpetuating gender inequality and hindering women’s economic empowerment.
She observed that beyond significant historical contributions to land labour, women play a crucial role but often overlooked in land restoration throughout history, through their knowledge, resourcefulness and deep connection to the environment.
“Women have employed sustainable practices, nurtured biodiversity and safeguarded natural resources, contributing to the long term wellbeing of ecosystems and communities as well,” she added.
Kingibe, therefore, called on leaders at all levels to address the gender disparities in land ownership in the fight to prevent and reverse the devastating effect of land-related environmental crisis such as desertification and drought.
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