USAID is supporting initiatives in Southern Tolima for rural women to understand and reclaim their rights to land
As part of the Rural Property and Land Administration Plan (POSPR) being implemented in Chaparral, USAID Land for Prosperity (LFP) partnered with Colombia’s Land Restitution Unit to host a series of workshops to empower rural women about their property rights, land ownership, the care economy, and gender-based violence. These workshops, called nucleos de exigibilidad, were piloted first in Ataco during POSPR implementation. During the sessions, 30 female leaders who are participating in land restitution and formalization processes shared their views of their territory and learned about gender-based violence with a focus on patrimonial and economic violence. The women met three times to discuss crucial topics for their personal growth and the one of their communities, as an opportunity to strengthen their leadership and promote gender equality in Southern Tolima.
Social, indigenous, afro-Colombian, and farmer leaders participated alongside presidents of community action boards and victims of the armed conflict. Some of them are beneficiaries of the POSPR implementation and others are in land restitution processes. These neighbors, although they share similar experiences and complex realities, had never met to talk.
The strategy was originally implemented in the municipality of Ataco and was recently extended to Chaparral, with the aim of building the capacity of these women so they can multiply their knowledge with their communities and neighborhoods. The work between the URT and LFP coordinates two important public policies: the one for rural property and land administration, and the one for land restitution.
“All exercises were focused on highlighting the role of women in society and identifying the different types of violence that women face. It was an opportunity to be clear about the relationship and the rights that women have to land,” says Héctor Canal, territorial director of the URT.
Advancing together towards our rights
The participants showed an unbreakable commitment in this process, becoming agents of change in their communities. Edna Liliana Castro, resident of the Guanábano Brasilia village, has stood out not just as a farmer but also as an influential leader, playing a valuable role in the implementation of the POSPR as a community volunteer. Community volunteers are vital, as they encourage the communities to participate, and disseminate the POSPR methodology and objectives so that people understand the benefits of titling their land.
Their involvement in the workshops was vital to strengthen their leadership in a community with a difficult history: “As social leaders in a rural community, unfortunately we are very forgotten. Peasant and rural women have always been forgotten. We weren’t very clear about our own rights, but in these spaces they taught us in a dynamic way, so we can share this knowledge with our communities, demanding the priority and value that women have.”
Edna also mentioned that the events strengthened the leadership of these women, regardless of their age: “During the workshops, women from different ages came together, from teenagers to senior citizens. Despite the age difference, we managed to build deep connections and mutual understanding, creating bonds that were so strong that we felt like a real family.”
Alcyra Carreño, resident of the urban area of Chaparral, said that the workshops allowed her to recognize the value of her own body as a temple, just like the action of claiming equal rights between men and women when it comes to land: “I would like for us women to become land and property owners. I have my small farm, but I don’t have a formal document that recognizes me as an owner, even though I work the land with my son.”
The last session of the workshops coincided with International Women’s Day, and during the event the women held a discussion with public officials from government entities such as the Agency for Rural Development, the Rural Development and the Community Development and Health Municipal Secretaries, and the Municipal Council. The women were grateful for the opportunity to advocate and take action in favor of their rights, both in rural and urban environments.
“These events help us understand that us women can continue fighting for our rights, and that it is important for many women to feel supported, as we are the core of our families and communities.