United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)
“Strengthening Women’s Land Rights and Security of Tenure in Uganda: Application of Innovative and Gender Responsive Land Tools and Approaches”

Call for expression of Interest from local NGOs

DEADLINE for submissions: 19 May 2017
DURATION: twelve months from June 2017

The Land and Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) Unit of UN Habitat is seeking Expression of Interest from qualified duly registered local (Uganda) Nonprofit Organizations for the implementation of a Project aimed at “Strengthening Women’s Land Rights and Security of Tenure in Uganda” through Application of Innovative and Gender Responsive Land Tools and Approaches.

Project Background

In Uganda, talking about development and poverty reduction cannot be done without taking into account the use of land. Land is a productive, wealth creating and livelihood sustaining property. According to statistics over 73% of the population is engaged in agriculture where women play a crucial role as producers and providers of food, providing about 90% of the labour force. Their role notwithstanding, women suffer discrimination in all matters relating to land use and ownership. These range from lack of rights for food production, limited or no decision making power over land use and the division of labour along gender lines.

Despite having a gender sensitive Constitution, women’s land rights are still subdued with patriarchal society/gender norms that relegates them to land users and occupiers and not owners/controllers. Although there is a focus on land use as a driver of economic development, very little emphasis is put on securing the rights of women on land. Women neither have a claim on the land of their parents nor on their in-laws. The importance of security of tenure to land and land-based resources is clearly vindicated in the global development frameworks, particularly, the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda (NUA), and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT). The New Urban Agenda (NUA) clearly acknowledges in the central role of land in promoting inclusive housing rights and fostering resilient and sustainable settlements. Specifically the NUA calls for gender equality and empowering of all women and girls, ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal rights in all fields and in leadership at all levels of decision-making, and by ensuring decent work and equal pay for equal work, or work of equal value for all women, as well as preventing and eliminating all forms of discrimination, violence, and harassment against women and girls.

In order to address the gaps in achieving gender equality and security of tenure for all, the Land and Global Land Tool Network Unit, located within the Urban Legislation, Land and Governance (ULLG) Branch of UN-Habitat, has developed a number of pro-poor and gender responsive tools and approaches.One of the flagship land tools for strengthening women’s land rights and security of tenure include the Gender Evaluation Criteria (GEC). Through the six criteria of the GEC, an examination of the entire land sector will be undertake to inform the women’s movement of whether the land tools are responsive to gender equality and if not highlight the advocacy areas. It will integrate the participation of grass roots women in the evaluation process. The criteria will enable unravel the social, economic and political arrangements attached to citizenship and the problems of blatant discrimination or hidden biases in the law and legal practice. Working with customary systems through this Gender Evaluation Criteria will have the important effect of exposing the contestation and variation that exists in customary law and undermining defensive efforts by dominant groups to portray local norms as bounded, immutable and well settled.

  1. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen women’s land rights and security of tenure. This project is aims at enhancing household food security and eradicating poverty especially among grassroots rural women in Uganda. Specifically the project will; Promote equitable access, ownership and control over land
  2. Strengthen capacity of grassroots communities as change agents to promote and advocate for appropriate land policies, tools and approaches that are pro-poor, gender appropriate, effective and sustainable towards securing land and property rights for all

Duration

The Project will run for twelve months from June 2017.

Requirements to submit the Expression of Interest (EOI)

The Expression of Interest (EOI) from interested registered local Non-Governmental Organizations should submit an Expression of Interest letter on official headed paper containing the following:

  1. A Concept Note comprising a detailed Background, Objectives, Methodology, Activities, Tools and budget and timelines for delivery (20 pages max).
  2. A portfolio of the organization that includes the organizational profile (showed by brochure or website), a description of the projects within the scope of the EOI (land and natural resource governance), detailing experience of the organization in implementing similar projects (max 4 pages);
  3. A copy of constitution and/ or by- laws of the organization and a copy of the Certificate of Registration/ Incorporation.
  4. A detailed list of completed projects including project description, clients, amount of award, implementation period;
  5. The CVs of the professional team to implement the project;
  6. Copies of statement of annual budget and annual reports of the previous 3 years;
  7. Copies of the two (2) latest audited reports;
  8. Governance and organizational structure and proof of non-profit nature of the organization.

Expression of Interest must be delivered in electronic format no later than 19th May 2017 to Dr. Samuel Mabikke at the following email address: samuel.mabikke@unhabitat.org  with a copy to Mr. Danilo Antonio email address: danilo.antonio@unhabitat.org

Disclaimer: Please note that this notice does not constitute a solicitation and UN‐Habitat reserves the right to change or cancel the project at any time in the process. Submitting a reply to an EOI does not guarantee that the submitting organization will be selected to carry out the implementation of the project.