NAROWAChiefDemandsActionsAgainstKaramojaNormsUnderminingWomen’s Land Rights

10 March 2026, 10:50 am

By Helen Aguyo

The Executive Director of Nakere Rural Women Activists (NARWOA) , an umbrella Community-Based Organization for women groups, Jessica Ruth Ataa, has expressed concern about customary practices in Karamoja that continue to undermine women’s land rights, health, and livelihoods.

She notes that despite national laws guaranteeing equality, many women in Karamoja Sub-region are still denied the right to own, inherit, or control land due to deep-rooted cultural norms.

Ataa explains that even when women are allowed access to land, they are often restricted from selling it or making key financial decisions, limiting their economic independence.

According to her, denying women land ownership rights contributes to increased vulnerability, especially in the context of climate change, as women make up a significant portion of the agricultural workforce but lack secure tenure.

Ataa is now calling for sensitization of men regarding women’s land rights to dismantle deeply rooted masculine norms and customary practices that hinder women from owning, managing, or controlling land.