Land, law, and legacy: reconciling gender equality with tradition in Northern Uganda

• Published in: Gender and development Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 41 - 69
• Main Author: Foote, Alexandra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 02.01.2025
• Subjects: customary law; gender equality; Localisation; post-conflict peacebuilding; women's land rights
• ISSN: 1355-2074; 1364-9221
• DOI: 10.1080/13552074.2025.2464472

The Acholi sub-region of Northern Uganda faces a tension in its post-conflict period: reconciling local peacebuilding approaches with national and international standards of gender equality. Women's land rights lie at the heart of this struggle, with local practices of land management and dispute resolution frequently privileging men over women, conflicting with national statutes that promise equal land rights for both genders. This research investigates how localisation impacts gender equality in post-conflict settings, how women navigate and reconcile the tension between local practices and gender equality, and the broader implications of these dynamics for post-conflict peacebuilding. Through qualitative methods, including desk research and interviews with peacebuilders in Uganda, this research finds that the challenges stem not from the inherent nature of statutory or customary legal systems but from their distortion and misapplication. Colonial legacies, historical conflict, and entrenched patriarchal norms have warped customary practices in ways that undermine women's legitimate claims to land. Simultaneously, a weak legal infrastructure and limited awareness among women hinder the enforcement of national statutes. This leaves women in a precarious position, unable to fully claim their rights under either system. Despite these challenges, Acholi women are demonstrating the efficacy of local negotiation within the framework of customary systems. This strategic approach allows them to both claim their land rights and subtly disrupt the very power structures that deny them those rights in the first place. By working within locally accepted systems, women are achieving progress through a seemingly traditional approach, slowly chipping away at entrenched patriarchal norms.