Landesa

THEIR WORK STARTS WITH RESEARCH

Land tenure experts venture into the fields to speak directly with members of rural communities, especially women. The organization collaborates with government officials at all levels to develop new laws and programs, investing time in researching existing laws, customs, and their impacts.

The work often begins with an invitation from a country seeking to create opportunity and a better future for people experiencing poverty. The engagement typically involves four steps:

RESEARCH

• Conduct field research to identify current conditions, laws, regulations, policies, and cultural considerations.

DESIGN

• Develop and review proposed changes to laws, programs, and regulations.

ADVOCATE

• Educate public officials and the public about the necessary changes.

IMPLEMENT

• Promote, plan, and assist in the adoption and implementation of these changes. Monitor and evaluate the process to learn from it and recommend further improvements as needed.

About the Programs:

• The land rights programs are tailored to the specifics of geography, political institutions, history, and culture.
• The work leverages markets and economic incentives, ensuring the programs are neither confiscatory nor punitive.
• These programs strengthen the rights of existing landholders with tenuous legal claims and broaden secure land access for the poorest.
• Emphasis is placed on establishing and protecting land rights for women and inheritance rights for girls, which improves family welfare, nutrition, productivity, and reduces violence and infectious disease.
• By working closely with governments, the organization achieves durable results, creating laws, policies, and programs that can impact tens of thousands of families.
• To date, the organization has helped over 180 million families secure land rights, offering them a foundation for a better future.