(Ecofin Agency) - Outraged by the unfair treatment to women in terms of access to agricultural lands, eight women associations organized an information workshop on the theme “concerns of Senegalese women in regards to land access and ownership”. During the workshop, State secretary in charge of support and mutualisation of farmers’ organizations, Moustapha Lô Diatta, pledged to establish a committee that will focus on the issue.

“Men and women have equal rights to access and own lands according to the Senegalese law. That is exactly what Article 15 of the constitution states. However, religion and customs have paved the way for discrimination and prevented women from enjoying their rights. When he became president, Macky Sall reaffirmed his determination and ambition to change this, knowingly by establishing a national land reform committee whose task would be to make the right to insuring equal access to land truly treated as a law,” the State secretary told the assembly present at the workshop. Were present at the meeting Ndiouck Mbaye, National secretary in charge of rural women, Absa Wade Ngom, director of gender and children equity and equality, and Fatou Gueye Sarr, representative of the economic, social and environmental council.

“We have no lands. We can get seedlings, but without lands, without having control over lands, we cannot do anything, even with all the will we can muster. It is true that the law does not prevent women from having lands; it is quite the opposite even. But this is not enough. And this is why we are appealing to the authorities. We are asking that 30% of the lands be given to rural women,” said Fatou Gueye Sarr.

Souha Touré