REPORT on the proceedings of the National Conference on Women’s Land and Property Rights and Livelihood in Namibia with a Special Focus on HIV/AIDS held from 6 to 8 July 2005 in Windhoek, Namibia This publication was made possible with support from the following donors: © Republic of Namibia, 2005 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. Report compilation, editing and layout: Sandie Fitchat Published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation Private Bag 133290 Windhoek NAMIBIA ISBN 99916-68-34-9 What is needed is real, positive change that will give more power and confidence to women and girls …, change that will allow women to play to the full their role in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Empowering women in this struggle must be our strategy for the future. Kofi A Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations 1 December 2004 National Conference on Women’s Land and Property Rights and Livelihood in Namibia, with a Special Focus on HIV/AIDS CONTENTS Page Executive summary ....................................................................................................... iv Theme I: Legal issues of women’s rights to land and property in Namibia...................... iv Theme II: Traditional institutions on women’s land and property rights ........................... v Theme III: HIV/AIDS, land and property rights, and livelihood strategies ........................ v Theme IV: Namibian experiences .................................................................................. vi Theme V: Regional experiences .................................................................................... vi Themes for group discussions ...................................................................................... vii Principal recommendations adopted ............................................................................. vii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ x Foreword ........................................................................................................................ xi List of abbreviations .................................................................................................... xii INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 Background .................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives ...................................................................................................................... 2 Structure and key issues ................................................................................................ 3 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE OPENING SESSION ............................................................................. 4 THEME I: LEGAL ISSUES OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO LAND AND PROPERTY IN NAMIBIA ........... 6 Overview of contributions ............................................................................................. 6 Recommendations made under Theme I ....................................................................... 7 Implementation of the Communal Land Reform Act and women’s land rights ......... 9 Hon. Jerry Ekandjo, Minister of Lands and Resettlement ............................................... 9 Women’s access to child maintenance as a right to property .................................. 11 Dr Debie LeBeau, University of Namibia ...................................................................... 11 Who ‘owns’ communal land? ...................................................................................... 13 Lynita Conradie and Willem Odendaal, Legal Assistance Centre ................................. 13 Evolving customary law on inheritance among the Ndonga of northern Namibia .. 16 Prof. Manfred O Hinz, Faculty of Law, University of Namibia ....................................... 16 Women’s land and property rights – The missing link: Proposal for the reform of inheritance laws in Namibia .................................................................................... 18 Mercedes Ovis, Legal Assistance Centre ..................................................................... 18 THEME II: TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS ON WOMEN’S LAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS ......... 20 Overview of contributions ........................................................................................... 20 Recommendations made under Theme II .................................................................... 20 The role of the traditional authorities and their mandate in protecting women and children’s property and inheritance rights in Namibia .......................................... 21 Hon. John A Pandeni, Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development ................................................................................................................ 21 THEME III: HIV/AIDS, LAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES ...... 23 Overview of contributions ........................................................................................... 23 Recommendations made under Theme III by the panel of judges and the plenary ....... 23 Tribunal on women and children’s land and property rights and testimonies ........ 25 i National Conference on Women’s Land and Property Rights and Livelihood in Namibia, with a Special Focus on HIV/AIDS Panel of judges: Mr Taylor, retired former Master of the Supreme Court; Evelyn Zimba- Naris, Legal Assistance Centre; Natasha Bassingthwaite, Lawyer; Linda Dumba, Legal Assistance Centre ........................................................................................................ 25 Testimony 1 ......................................................................................................... 25 Testimony 2 ......................................................................................................... 25 Testimony 3 ......................................................................................................... 26 Testimony 4 ......................................................................................................... 26 Testimony 5 ......................................................................................................... 27 THEME IV: NAMIBIAN EXPERIENCES ..................................................................................... 28 Overview of contributions ........................................................................................... 28 Recommendations made under Theme IV ................................................................... 28 Legal reform for women and children’s property and inheritance rights in Namibia .................................................................................................................................. 29 Hon. Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, Minister of Justice ......................................................... 29 Poverty and livelihoods ............................................................................................... 31 Hon. Dr Nickey Iyambo, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry ............................ 31 THEME V: REGIONAL EXPERIENCES ...................................................................................... 32 Overview of contributions ........................................................................................... 32 Recommendations made under Theme V .................................................................... 33 HIV/AIDS as an opportunity: Women’s property rights and livelihoods in southern and East Africa ......................................................................................................... 34 Dr Kaori Izumi, Land Tenure and Rural Institutions Officer and HIV and AIDS Focal Point, FAO Subregional Office for Southern and East Africa ........................................ 34 SWAZILAND: Swazi positive women’s cooperatives ................................................. 36 Simphiwe Hlophe, Swazis for Positive Living ............................................................... 36 UGANDA: Memory Book Project – Livelihoods ......................................................... 38 Flavia Kyomukuma ...................................................................................................... 38 ZAMBIA: Community tribunals on widows’ and orphans’ land and property rights 39 Florence Shakafuskwa, Justice for Widows and Orphans ............................................ 39 ZIMBABWE: Zimbabwe Widows and Orphans Trust ................................................. 42 Susan Zwinoira ............................................................................................................ 42 THEMES FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONS .......................................................................................... 44 Recommended actions and agents of change ............................................................. 44 Sensitisation and paralegal training for various stakeholders at all levels .............. 48 Issues identified ..........................................................................................................