Understanding Land & Gender Better in Vanuatu

There is increasing awareness that land reforms are not gender-neutral interventions. Issues around gender and land are complex. In Vanuatu access to resources is governed by both written and customary laws. In instances when conflicts exist between traditional norms and national laws, as is often the case when women’s’ rights are considered, local norms generally prevail and are enforced by community members. Research in Vanuatu shows that women are largely absent from both the formal and customary processes and women assert to know little about decision-making over land.

The Mama Graon Vanuatu Land Program – has a unique opportunity to challenge socially constructed attitudes and gender roles and relationships amongst men and women, boy children and girl children, and strengthen the capacity of women to participate in leadership and decision-making within customary and formal land dealings.

The Program’s gender team has been facilitating a gender assessment to gain a better understanding of the situation for men and women within partner agencies and within the land sector more broadly. The impact of gender has to be considered on the basis of a specific analysis, since relationships are largely determined by local conditions and are context specific. Land reform efforts must also proceed with an understanding of the diversity in land tenure systems in Vanuatu, within provinces and between islands.

Consultations and research culminated in a program Gender Equality Strategy and Plan to guide the program and partner agencies towards equitable participation, leadership and ownership of the Mama Graon benefits.

Complementing this strategy is the recent appointment of Mr Gary Tavoa, the program’s National Gender Focal Point, who will ensure a sustained approach in addressing the complex issues around gender and land in Vanuatu. Across the island locations in Vanuatu, consultations contributing to the development of the Government of Vanuatu National Gender Policy, continue to be held providing decision makers with a better understanding of the entry points for women in the customary land space, typically a very male-dominated space.

Cross-cutting issues, such as gender, often do not receive adequate resources or full engagement by land program partners, and therefore the momentum of these gender activities may well have some lessons for other projects from which to learn.

For more information on our Vanuatu activities, please contact Program Director, Mr Chris Lunnay.