Executive Summary

Women and girls in indigenous communities face multiple marginalization, battling inequity and exclusion compounded by post- and neo-colonialism narratives and structures. Underserved and underrepresented, their indigenous communities has deep-rooted patriarchal norms and practices that limit women's access and control of essential resources including land.

Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) has developed proven holistic, inclusive, community-led approaches built on trust, mutual respect, deep cultural knowledge, and a shared understanding of the issues. Our work empowers indigenous women and girls to become agents of change by transforming oppressive social norms that inhibit gender equity and inclusive development.

Building on PWC’s work of the past two decades, our project will result in inclusive, structural reform, at household, community and national levels, and ensure participation of indigenous women in sustainable development. It will also offer a roadmap for other underrepresented people to take charge of their development and create more sustainable, inclusive communities.

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2023 Swift Grant Awardee

With Landesa, the Pastoral Women's Council Tanzania will conduct a research project that will increase understanding of the communal land rights challenges and limitations faced by Tanzanian pastoralist women in Embaash and Enkikaret villages. The research will examine land access and ownership and explore potential benefits and outcomes that arise from securing and strengthening women's land rights and participation in decision-making within land management structures.