March 31, 2022 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): The Land Governance Programme of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) yesterday concluded a Gender Mainstreaming in Land Administration Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Entebbe.
This pool of trainers included the already Gender Focal Persons that IGAD Secretariat has been working with. In total, 21 Gender Focal Persons in the Ministry of Lands from Member States were trained for a period of three days.
The objective of this workshop was to enhance gender capacity of gender focal point persons from IGAD member countries and increase their ability to deliver training to a wide range of land administrators at local and national Levels; to identify a team of qualified gender and land trainers that will support future gender mainstreaming in land administration training; and finally to learn and exchange knowledge and experiences on gender mainstreaming in Land Administration across the IGAD region.
The ToTs were selected by IGAD Member States and recommended to IGAD for training. In this regard, the Training of Trainers (ToTs) workshop contributed to establishing a team of Gender and Land experts that will support in the implementation of future capacity building programme.
As part of the Programme, a Training of Trainers (ToT) Handbook on Land and Gender for Land Administrators was developed.
In her opening speech on Day one, Naomie Justine, Director Land Management of Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development of Uganda said: “I am meant to understand that the Gender Handbook provides useful steps and considerations for different Land Administration professionals in order to deliver their day to day work in a more gender sensitive manner”.
In addition to the presentations made, the workshop was a success as participants got actively involved in different activities. Group works followed by questions and answers were carried out.
These activities were in line with the understanding of gender, norms and power and how they impact on land tenure security for all, practical approaches to integrating gender perspective in the programme cycle, and introduction to gender mainstreaming and gender analysis tools.
Lucy Daxbacher, IGAD Head of Mission to the Republic of Uganda, Esther Obaikol, IGAD Land Governance Expert and Coordinator of the Land Governance Unit and Kyomukama Magdalene, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, delivered their closing remarks as the workshop concluded and presented awards to the participants from the Member States.
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, with support from Sweden, is implementing a three-year project, “Improving Land governance in the IGAD Region”
The Land Governance Programme is in the process of designing a 4 year build on programme and in line with the IGAD Regional Women’s Land Rights Agenda 1 that was endorsed at a Ministerial meeting in July 2021. As part of the Regional Agenda, IGAD intends to continue strengthening the capacity of Land Administrators in order to contribute to the closing of the Gender Gap on Land.
