Landesa Calls on UN Group to Include Land Rights in Goals for Sustainable Development

On July 1st, representatives from United Nations membership countries released the latest draft of proposed new sustainable development goals to help set global priorities for reducing poverty and inequality. In response to this new draft, Landesa is advocating for key amendments to the language to ensure important levers for reducing poverty are addressed.

Landesa's recommendations are being shared with UN missions and other influential leaders around the world to ensure the proposed goals properly include secure rights to land for women and men.

Click here to view and share Landesa's recommendations >>

Landesa Earns Top Rating from Charity Navigator

Charity Navigator has awarded Landesa 4 out of 4 stars for fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. For both our supporters and those we serve around the world, Landesa's 4-star rating is an indicator of our commitment to using our funding in an efficient and responsible way. This helps us achieve our mission of securing land rights for rural families to provide them with a powerful tool they can use to break out of poverty.

View Landesa's profile on Charity Navigator >>

Trust Women Conference Features Landesa and Land Rights

This year, Landesa is partnering with the Thomson Reuters Foundation for their Trust Women conference. The conference will focus heavily on women's land rights and include a presentation by Ren�e Giovarelli, senior attorney and advisor for the Landesa Center for Women's Land Rights.

Landesa's support of the conference presents an opportunity to further elevate the issue of women's land rights as a way for governments, businesses, and the social sector to reduce poverty and empower women worldwide. The conference is scheduled for November 17-19 in London.

Learn more about the conference here >>

Remembering Our Friend and Colleague, Anuradha

Anuradha Bandyopadhyay, a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Landesa, was killed in a road accident on June 25th while conducting field work in Cooch Behar, India.

Anuradha was part of a small team of staff members leading the Girls Project in a remote and poor area of the country.

Landesa staff around the world often work in areas where there is insecurity, poor road conditions, and a lack of good healthcare should something go wrong. Her team in Cooch Behar works in particularly difficult circumstances, living in a town where water and electricity service are not constant and travelling to far flung villages on roads that are little more than walking paths.

Anuradha had a Masters in Applied Psychology and about ten years of experience working with different NGOs in the field of health, especially HIV/AIDS. She had been with Landesa for 18 months. As Landesa's M&E Officer of the Girls Project, she facilitated all quantitative and qualitative studies related to the project work.

Anuradha, an only child, was born and brought up in Howrah district in West Bengal. Her work and contribution to the Girls Project will always be valued, and she will be missed as a great colleague and friend. Landesa's deepest condolences go to her family and friends.

Before her tragic accident, Anuradha wrote a blog about her work.

You can read her blog here >>

July 8, 2014

Landesa in the News

National Geographic quoted Landesa land tenure specialist Darryl Vhugen in an extensive report on rising investment in Africa's farmland and the risks to smallholder farmers.

The Association for Women's Rights in Development posted Landesa's Practice Guides, which are checklists that help practitioners identify and assess issues that may affect women and men differently in relation to rights to and control over land.

The Guardian cited Landesa's research in an article on the imprisonment of a land rights activist in China.

The Economic Times published an editorial by Landesa CEO Tim Hanstad on the true indicators of progress for women's rights in India and around the world.

The Morung Express interviewed Landesa senior advisor on women and land Dr. Govind Kelkar about why securing land rights should come first and foremost for indigenous women in India.

Landesa was featured as NGO of the month for the online initiative, fundsforNGOs.org.

The Skoll Foundation shared Landesa's infographic that illustrates the global impact of land rights.

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