In Ethiopia, women constitute half the population and depend on land for subsistence, shelter and a source of livelihood. Yet, most lack secure rights to the land on which they rely.

The Stand for Her Land (S4HL) Ethiopia country coalition was formed to close the gap between law and practice and ensure all women can realize secure land rights in their daily lives. Earlier this month, S4HL Ethiopia reached a key milestone toward achieving that guiding objective, as country coalition lead Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia signed an agreement with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Ethiopian government’s Women’s Land Rights Task Force to cooperate on strengthening women’s land and property rights in Ethiopia.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covers areas of cooperation concerning women in large-scale agricultural investments, smallholder farming communities and in urban and peri-urban areas, in a shared vision to see Ethiopian women fully exercise and enjoy their land, housing and property rights.

The signatories agreed to assist each other and collaborate on raising awareness and enhancing the capacities of women, communities, CSOs, and grassroots movements to advocate for women’s land rights; engage policymakers and government authorities in lobbying for prioritizing women’s land rights in law and policy; and to foster partnership, learning, and collective action toward women’s land rights among government, donors, CSOs, and other key stakeholders.

This MoU helps make possible the coordination at local and national levels necessary to help S4HL Ethiopia reach its ambitious objectives. By aligning advocacy agendas and resources, the campaign is able to focus efforts among stakeholders to strengthen land rights for Ethiopia’s women and build a better future for all.