Who cares about land rights? How Tanzanian women are reclaiming their land and their futures

Women play a significant role in Tanzania’s agricultural sector with approximately 81 percent of women across the country engaged in farming and related agricultural activities. That figure rises even higher in parts of Iringa and other rural regions. Yet only a small fraction of women hold secure rights to the property they farm. National data shows that just nine percent of women hold land solely in their own name, despite legal reforms introduced in 1999.

“The law allows women to own land,” said Prudence Masako, CARE Tanzania’s Country Director, “but in practice, traditions still limit women’s access.”

Control over property in Tanzania, she explained, has long been tied to inheritance systems that overwhelmingly favored men: “Girls were often excluded because they were expected to marry and join another family.”

In regions like Iringa, where traditional inheritance practices remain strong, those barriers are often especially entrenched.

The consequences are far-reaching. Without property registered in their own name, many women struggle to access loans, invest in farming, or plan for the future. In cases of divorce or a husband’s death, families can lose homes and income overnight.

Claiming what was hers

For Sikujua, life after her father’s death felt untethered. Just 14 years old at the time, she left Luganga almost immediately, moving in with her aunt in central Tanzania. There, she was meant to attend school. Instead, she spent her days selling palm wine at local bars to support herself – a responsibility that left little room for education or stability.

When she became pregnant at 20 under circumstances she did not choose, Sikujua returned to Luganga hoping her family’s land might be restored to her. Instead, her uncle refused, offering food if she needed it – but none of the land.

Coming home did not bring safety or independence. Still, she stayed, depending on others to survive, including men in her family and community who mistreated her, sometimes physically.

“Finding enough food to eat, clothes to wear – it was very difficult at times,” she recalled.

Seventeen years passed in this uncertainty before Sikujua finally found independence and the confidence to challenge what she had lost. That shift began when she joined a VSLA in 2023.

“On paper, VSLAs are about saving and investing collectively,” says Lilian Mkusa, a CARE project manager in Iringa who works closely with groups in Luganga. “But in practice, they become a platform to reach many people at once with information and resources that build confidence. When women come together, it creates safe space to talk about real challenges. Access to savings gives women confidence, but it’s the mix of financial independence and information that helps them stand up for themselves.”

“VSLA is strength,” Sikujua said. “It is love.”

“Among the Hehe [Iringa’s main ethnic group], women have historically had some of the lowest rates of ownership in the country,” Lilian said. “That’s why we work with local partners in Luganga, including land council officials, to help women navigate the steps required to file and secure claims.”

Listening to other women’s stories, Sikujua learned something she had never been taught growing up: that women have the right to own property. Just as important, she learned what it would take to reclaim it.

Care means standing firm

“We need to get our land back,” Sikujua told herself. She took the lead on behalf of her family.

One morning, when Sikujua went to survey her family’s property, her uncle followed her into the fields and beat her, trying to force her away and end her claim before it could begin. She still has scars from that day.

But she persisted. After months of mediation, village meetings, and negotiations with elders – and despite her uncle’s resistance – Sikujua officially reclaimed the land in February 2024.

“I felt happiness,” she said of the moment she finally held the official property deed – the Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy – in her hands. “I felt there was hope.”

The impact was almost immediate. Eating three meals a day was no longer in question. She could pay school fees so her children could attend regularly. Sikujua now farms part of the plots herself and rents other portions for income, investing earnings back into other revenue generating activities. The land also supports her wider family, including her sisters, who once again have a place to live and farm of their own.

From survival to leadership

Sikujua’s victory is not an isolated one.

Across Tanzania, women are pushing back against systems that have long denied them secure land ownership. In Iringa’s green hills, a few hours north of Luganga, Yuditha Alimoti Sanga knows that struggle well. After her divorce, she lost fields she had purchased jointly with her husband. Years later, she used her own savings to buy new land – and then fought to have it formally recognized.

With support from local authorities and CARE, she secured the deed and began a timber farming business.

“A deep wound was healed,” Yuditha said.

Local officials say stories like these reflect a broader, if slow, shift in attitudes.

“Through awareness campaigns and joint efforts, we are seeing gradual change,” said Richard Libongi, who supports land rights initiatives with a district council in Iringa. “Some men become more open to shared ownership. Women gain confidence. Over time, perceptions begin to shift.”

Who cares about the future?

“My favorite time of year here is harvest season, between May and June. Fields are full. Food is plentiful. It’s when everyone is busy,” Sikujua shared after the VSLA meeting.

Today, she serves as Lead Farmer, sharing agricultural techniques, coordinating activities, and supporting other women as they plan and invest together. VSLA groups in Luganga now count about 160 members, many of whom joined after Sikujua encouraged them to do so.

“Sikujua’s influence here is undeniable,” said CARE’s Lilian Mkusa. “Women in Luganga have woken up. They now know their rights.”

“She fought so hard to get back on her feet,” explained Christina Lugenge, a member of the VSLA who knows Sikujua and her background well. “Seeing her so strong today makes us stronger as a group. If Sikujua had not been so strong, she would not be here today,” she paused and added, “we would not be here today.”

The answer is clear

When someone asks, who cares about land, dignity, and the future of families? The answer is clear.

Sikujua and Yuditha do.

CARE does, too. That’s why we stand with women as they reclaim what is theirs, support one another, and build brighter futures rooted in dignity.

Who cares? You do.