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LAND REFORMS > Collaboration with WESA

Collaboration with WESA

Awareness of the rights of access to land for all population categories, particularly for women and poor households, is central to enforcement of these rights. In most cases, mere existence of good laws without public awareness of these laws does not solve the issue of access. Kyrgyzstan has adopted cutting-edge land laws, which provide for benefits for poor people in terms of access to land. However, hardly anybody enjoys these benefits, and access to land resources is still restricted. The central idea of this project is as follows: close examination of the problem of access to land for women and poor people in one ayil-okmotu may ascertain that this problem is caused by their poor awareness of their own rights and the ways to enforce them.

The Project Objective

to facilitate and improve access of women and poor categories of rural population to land, as well as increase civic engagement and involvement, and build local capacity for communities to be able to solve their own problems.

The Project was implemented by the Women Entrepreneurs Support Association (WESA) and the Rural Development Fund (RDF) experts in close partnership with Kok-Oirok Ayil-Okmotu, Ayil-Kenesh and community. The local committee selected three researchers (including two women) from among local residents of the villages of Kok-Oirok Ayil-Okmotu. In close cooperation with local self-governments, they surveyed the process of exercising the land rights of rural population, particularly women and poor people. 65 respondents, including local self-government representatives and stakeholders, were interviewed in the course of the survey.

Local communities studied issues in exercising of land rights and conducted primary analysis by themselves. As a result, local communities learnt and built capacity for conducting similar surveys and analysis of similar issues and problems that may emerge in their everyday life in the future. Having learnt the methods of survey, analysis and formulation of recommendations and proposals, local communities now can, through their representatives, take more active part in the processes of making decisions that have impact on social and economic development of their region.

Activities implemented under this project:

- The problems of access to land, particularly for poor and vulnerable population categories (single women, pensioners, large families) were quickly surveyed and assessed in close cooperation with local communities;

- The legal framework was reviewed for analysis of the existing problems;

- Answers and recommendations were prepared in form of a booklet containing information about changes in the existing land legislation;

- Information in form of booklets was distributed among stakeholders and land users.

Rural Development Fund

102-104, Toktogul Street, Office 1

Bishkek, 720040, Kyrgyz Republic 

Phone: +996 (312) 976 100

Fax: +996 (312) 976 103

E-mail: general@rdf.in.kg

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Rural Development Fund