The goal of the Improving Land Access for Women (ILAW) Activity is to increase social cohesion, reduce land conflicts, and empower women to contribute to their communities economically by strengthening their legal access to land in the Northern and Western regions of Côte d’Ivoire (CDI). ILAW will achieve this goal through two performance objectives: Objective 1 – Empower communities in Northern and Western CDI through awareness raising, advocacy, and communication campaigns on land and women’s rights in Western and Northern CDI; and Objective 2 – Strengthen women’s access to legal and conflict mediation services in rural and urban areas to ensure their access to land in Northern and Western CDI.
The ILAW Activity runs from 2021 to 2024 as a Task Order under the Strengthening Tenure and Resource Rights (STARR) II Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The ILAW Activity is implemented in two zones of the country: the northern zone encompassing the regions of Poro, Béré, and Tchologo; and the western zone encompassing the regions of Cavally, Guémon, and Tonkpi. ILAW implements its activities in close partnership with local organizations Rural Organization in Korhogo (ARK), Humanitarian Assistance and Development Council (CAHD), Initiative for Dialogue and Research Action for Peace (INDIGO), and Association of Women Legal Practitioners in Côte d’Ivoire (AFJCI).
As approved by the USAID Contracting Officer’s Representative, the present Quarterly Progress Report covers the period from award of the project in August through December 2021.