Building Knowledge for Inclusive Land Governance: (ARA-LG) organized Women’s Land Rights Lecture at Al-Quds University
On 29 May 2025, the Arab Land Initiative and the Arab Academic Network for Land Governance (ARA-LG) organized an online lecture titled “Advancing Women’s Land Rights: Challenges and Opportunities.” for Master’s students in the Land Administration program at Al-Quds University, Palestine. The lecture was coordinated by Dr. Samer Raddad, Associate Professor and ARA-LG Network Coordinator. The session was delivered by Haneen Zaqout, Project Coordinator at UN-Habitat Palestine, and Kholoud Saad Salama, Land Administration Consultant with the Arab Land Initiative.
The lecture addressed persistent legal, institutional, and social challenges to securing women’s housing, land, and property (HLP) rights across the Arab region. Drawing on case studies from Palestine, it presented gender-disaggregated data analysis.
A particularly impactful segment of the lecture highlighted ongoing awareness-raising and advocacy efforts led by UN-Habitat Palestine, in collaboration with the Palestinian Land Authority (PLA) and the Land and Water Settlement Commission (LWSC) and supported by the European Union. These efforts include the disaggregation of land ownership data by gender, the production of animated educational videos, the development of legal fact sheets, widespread community outreach sessions, and targeted media campaigns. Together, these initiatives shed light on the real challenges faced by women in accessing and securing land rights, while also offering concrete, practical pathways for reform. Students responded with strong interest, sharing reflections and posing thoughtful questions on how similar strategies could be adapted and applied across other countries in the Arab region.
As part of the lecture, the Arab Land Initiative also shared an overview of its regional work on advancing women’s land rights and the key interventions. The lecture highlighted the regional study “Land, Women Empowerment and Socioeconomic Development in the Arab Region: Evidence-Based Perspectives,” developed by UN-Habitat and GLTN in partnership with the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) in Palestine. This research offered evidence on the link between women’s land tenure security and their broader empowerment, showing that secure land rights correlate with improved access to education, healthcare, leadership roles, and economic opportunity. The study provides concrete recommendations for policymakers, civil society organizations, and practitioners working to strengthen women’s land rights across the region.
The discussion concluded with forward-looking recommendations on how emerging land professionals can play a role in advancing gender-responsive land administration. These included strengthening data systems, simplifying land registration procedures, promoting legal education, and ensuring the meaningful participation of women in land governance institutions.
This lecture is part of a wider regional effort by the Arab Land Initiative and the Arab Academic Network for Land Governance (ARA-LG) to strengthen academic work on land governance. It highlights the importance of including gender equality and land rights in university curricula across the Arab region.