Rwanda
Goal: Harnessing the power of land rights to reduce poverty, protect the environment, and promote a gender-equitable future for all Rwandans.
Cultivating peace and prosperity.
In Rwanda, land is a scarce resource. Eight in 10 workers engage in agriculture—in the country with the highest population density on the continent. Disputes over land remain the most common cause of conflict in rural Rwanda, emphasizing the need for land reform as a tool for sustainable peace and increased social equity. And while conflict affects entire communities, women face greater obstacles resolving land disputes due to patriarchal customs.
Landesa began working in Rwanda in 2003 in partnership with the national government and civil society organizations to strengthen land rights, improve livelihoods, and cultivate peace and stability.
Our work
Agricultural Systems Change Initiative
Landesa is laying the foundation for smallholder farmers to make long-term investments in their land, ultimately seeking to reduce extreme poverty, protect the environment, and shape a more gender-equitable future for rural Rwanda. Through land policy reforms, support for dispute resolution, and enhanced land administration services, Landesa is improving both women’s and men’s agency and ability to invest in their farmland. Implemented in partnership with One Acre Fund with funding support from Co-Impact, the initiative seeks to strengthen land rights for 566,893 households, helping to generate a long-term economic impact of more than $37 million.
Promoting Peace Project
Landesa created and trained a network of Community Resource Persons to resolve land disputes, resulting in peaceful resolution of more than 400 land-related disputes. At the same time, Landesa facilitated approximately 350 community dialogues, aired 90 community radio programs, and answered nearly 1,800 telephone calls via an informational hotline, increasing knowledge around women’s land rights and inciting transformational change in attitudes around land dispute resolution.
Legal Support
Landesa drafted recommendations for the Government of Rwanda’s 2005 Land Law and after its passage, Landesa supported development of the corresponding regulations at the request of the Ministry of Lands and Environment. Concurrently, Landesa assessed women’s access and rights to land, including those of women widowed from HIV/AIDS and the Rwandan genocide.
