From 14-16 May 2018 eighteen grassroots women leaders from ten countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America gathered together for a strategic exchange around women’s leadership in struggles to advance land, housing and natural resource rights. The exchange, which took place in Nairobi, Kenya, sought to support mutual learning, experience sharing and solidarity between grassroots women leaders and strengthen their visibility as essential in building effective and inclusive human rights struggles. The meeting followed a workshop on human rights principles and organizing for Endorois indigenous women leaders at Lake Bogoria, Kenya, earlier that month.
Human rights related to land, housing and natural resources have long been central to collective work coordinated within ESCR-Net, and approximately one half of our members work on these issues. Strengthening the leadership of social movements and grassroots groups, especially grassroots women, in struggles for land, housing and natural resources has been a strategic priority which was reinforced during a strategy meeting on land, housing and natural resources that took place in New York, 10-11 March 2018. That meeting foregrounded the different and disproportionate impacts on women of violations of land, housing and natural resource rights and women’s vital leadership in resistance struggles.