CWLR and HIC jointly organize a meeting on Women and Land in Johannusberg, South Africa

A meeting was held to discuss ideas on how a women resource right agenda could take off in South Africa. Toward this end members of Habitat International Coalition (HIC) and Consult for women and Land Rights (CWLR) met two groups in Johannesburg to discuss the possibilities of such an initiative under the theme of strengthening women and shelter network of HIC. CWLR provides technical support to networks and organizations to develop the women and resource rights work as part of ongoing agenda of civil society to lobby the government for the same. The meeting was hosted and chaired by Ms Rebecca A. Hamlin, Executive Director of Planact.

Discussions and follow up:

1. The women resource right agenda (see annex for details) in Johannesburg  could be raised at the level of the state administration after consulting communities that need to get involved in being the advocates and beneficiaries of the process. The current urban renewal programs taken on by the government are evicting communities without consulting communities.  The communities have not ever listed the resources that they use and access so as to negotiate what they could claim as reparation or compensation for being dislocated from their dwellings. The resource mapping offered through the women resource right agenda offers the opportunity to engage in documenting what communities have and then negotiate a package deal for their relocation or build a case of insitu up gradation for a better human rights based living. The groups in Joburg could get together in two months time after consulting communities and reporting on this at the city development consultation process ( Nelli pl add at what forum and how this can be done) .
2. The work on local level must be complimented by work at National level. A letter to the Prime Minister ( or appropriate office ), can be sent stating the fact that its obligations to women’s empowerment can only be fulfilled by undertaking the women resource right agenda. The letter could refer to the contribution women have made in creating the new regime and also refer to the point no. 2 and 3 of the women’s charter adopted at the founding conference of the federation of south African women dated 17^th April 1954, which demands equal employment opportunities and equal right with men in relation to property, marriage and children, and  for removal of all laws and customs that deny women their rights.
3. A letter to  the Housing Minster Ms Sisulu (?) has been drafted urging the minister to look into developing space for women in city master plan. Please circulate this letter ( see annex to the groups for sensitivity check before sending the letter to the minister, you may add your names or choose to be silent till the minister reponds)
4. If enough data on violation or exclusion of women can be gathered  through a research a case can be sent to the constitutional court on making women resource rights and enforceable legal right that women’s group demand from the state. For this parallel process of research and getting women’s organizations on board needs to be undertaken, This task seems difficult as most women leaders active in civil society before formation of the new regime have now been appointed as ministers and they have taken on modes of capitalist development rather than apply feminist perspectives to impact their portfolios. 
5. The groups were introduced to HIC and informed about the presidential elections as well as upcoming events where they could participate. They were encouraged to visit the HIC( www.hic.org ) and CWLR ( www. cwlr.net) web site to get enrolled and to get updated on information.
6. Shivani will send proposal for women’s space in city master plan called  Ajalaa to Alison as well as Laura so that a similar proposal can be drafted for the city of Johannesburg.    ( the proposal for Delhi is attached for those who may wish to develop this as a joberg proposal)
7. The work of women and resource rights will get strengthened if individual organization take initiative and lead the processes and develop related projects to resource the project to build constituency that can gain benefits from organizing themselves to increase resource base for women. For this work at local level needs to be reported at city and national level and shared at the inter country level. Nellie could keep the Joberg groups informed of happenings related to strengthening of women resource right agenda that can be a part of WAS work if the groups would choose to affiliate themselves to activities organized by WAS in Africa.