Desertification and Drought Day: UN urges countries not to forget women when distributing land

By Daniel Itai

On Desertification and Drought Day, observed worldwide on June 17th each year, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has called upon nations to ensure gender equality in land distribution.

During discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York, delegates highlighted that droughts, land degradation, and desertification disproportionately affect women and girls across the globe.

Marking the occasion, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized the need to recognize and value women as landowners and resource managers, urging investment in the fight against climate change.

 Mohammed pointed out that while women constitute the majority of rural farmers, they represent less than 15 percent of agricultural landholders.

Moreover, their right to inherit property continues to be denied in over 100 countries due to customary and traditional laws.

Csaba Kőrösi, the President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, echoed the importance of women farmers having access to land ownership. He highlighted that when women farmers have such access, they achieve higher productivity, benefiting not only themselves but also their children and nations at large.

UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw emphasized that investing in women’s equal access to land is an investment in the future. He stated that it goes beyond being an act of justice, representing a commitment to the prosperity of the planet and valuing not only the land but also the hands that cultivate it.

According to the UNCCD, women comprise approximately half of agricultural workers in developing countries and produce 60 to 80 percent of the food grown in these regions. However, they own less than one-fifth of all land globally. As water and other resources become scarce due to land degradation, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to poverty, hunger, displacement, and violence.