When land is degraded, women and girls are impacted most. They are disproportionately affected by poverty, hunger, and displacement, and are at risk for gender-based violence, which can worsen under circumstances of increasingly scarce natural resources and conflict. Agriculture, livestock production, urbanization, deforestation, and extreme weather have accelerated the pace of land degradation, heightening the pressure on women and girls.

As the world population continues to grow and pressures on the global food system intensify, we are in urgent need of solutions to this crisis. If we are to feed the projected global population of 9.7 billion by 2050, women’s land rights and land degradation neutrality must be part of the conversation.

In addition to being most affected by land degradation, women are also some of the best-equipped to respond to it and are often more willing to adopt new practices to protect and restore land. Yet in many places they lack access to the land rights and leadership positions that would allow them to do so. When women do have secure land rights, they are able to invest in sustainable land management practices that restore degraded lands and prevent future harm.

At this year’s UNCCD conference, S4HL will send 10 delegates from coalitions around the globe to highlight the connection between women’s land rights and land degradation neutrality. It is essential to prioritize grassroots advocates in these conversations because they are the most affected by land degradation and have an intimate understanding of its impact on the ground. Grassroots women’s involvement in COP events elevates their engagement at all levels of the UNCCD decision-making and implementation processes, advancing their capacity to work with decision-makers to develop better and more gender-equitable land tenure implementation.

Secure land rights are essential to address the ongoing crisis of land degradation and desertification. Including grassroots voices in international forums like UNCCD is an important step in that process—one that puts decision-making power in the hands of those best equipped to lead the joint efforts toward land degradation neutrality and women’s land rights.