Stand for Her Land Milestones in 2025
Advocacy Strategy Training | April 2025
In April 2025, Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia conducted a three-day advocacy strategy training focused on strengthening initiatives that promote women’s land rights and equitable housing policies in Ethiopia. The training brought together coalition members and Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia staff to enhance coordinated advocacy efforts.
As a key outcome of the workshop, participants jointly drafted an advocacy strategy and policy brief for the Stand for Her Land campaign. In addition, participants endorsed the Home Equals petition, contributing to the global campaign aimed at improving the lives of more than 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements.
As a key outcome of the workshop, participants jointly drafted an advocacy strategy and policy brief for the Stand for Her Land campaign. In addition, participants endorsed the Home Equals petition, contributing to the global campaign aimed at improving the lives of more than 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements.
Understanding Gender Transformative Approach | April 2025
In April 2025, a learning workshop was conducted under the Stand for Her Land (S4HL) campaign to enhance understanding of the Gender Transformative Approach (GTA). The workshop provided S4HL coalition members with in-depth insights into a range of GTA tools designed to promote and sustain long-term change.
The session also fostered mutual learning and knowledge exchange among S4HL coalition members and other key stakeholders working to advance women’s land and property rights through gender-transformative practices.
Impacts of Large-Scale Investment on Women’s Land Rights | March 2025
On March 18, 2025, Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia convened a networking and collaboration workshop focused on examining the impacts of large-scale land investments on women’s land rights. The workshop brought together key stakeholders and strategic partners to deepen understanding of how large-scale investments can both advance and undermine women’s land tenure security. The workshop achieved several key outcomes, including enhanced understanding of the positive and negative implications of large-scale land investments on women’s land rights; identification of critical challenges and opportunities for promoting gender-responsive land governance; and exploration of potential partnerships to support transformative land investments and women’s empowerment.
Great Ethiopian Run Women’s Edition – March 16, 2025
Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia, together with members of the Stand for Her Land (S4HL) coalition, proudly participated in the Great Ethiopian Run Women’s Edition on March 16, 2025, in Addis Ababa.
By joining this vibrant event, Habitat Ethiopia and its partners aimed to champion gender equality in land and property rights, empower women with confidence, and encourage their active participation in societal development. The event also served as an important platform to promote women’s health, wellness, and overall well-being.
Through their participation, Habitat Ethiopia and S4HL demonstrated their commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable society, where women’s voices and contributions are recognized and valued.
GIMAC and ECOSOC Meetings – February 2025
The Policy and Advocacy team of Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia actively participated in a pre-summit Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) consultative meeting on gender mainstreaming, hosted by the Gender Is My Agenda Campaign (GIMAC) from February 6–8, 2025, in Addis Ababa.
Following this, the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) convened a symposium on February 10, 2025, also in Addis Ababa. Participation in these meetings provided Habitat Ethiopia with invaluable opportunities to enhance organizational visibility, strengthen coordination, and expand its network of key stakeholders across the continent.
The pre-summit discussions offered critical insights into advancing gender equality, promoting climate justice, and empowering youth advocacy, reinforcing Habitat Ethiopia’s commitment to building inclusive and equitable communities.
Stand for Her Land Advocacy Forum
Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia, through the Stand for Her Land Project, hosted an advocacy forum to explore gender-transformative approaches and examine the impact of the revised Rural Land Administration and Use Proclamation on women.
The forum generated actionable recommendations aimed at advancing women’s land rights, including the approval and implementation of remaining regional proclamations, strengthening women’s representation in land governance, establishing gender-disaggregated data, raising community awareness, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
Through this initiative, Habitat Ethiopia continues to champion transformative change, ensuring women have equitable access to land and the opportunity to fully participate in decision-making processes that shape their communities.
Media Roundtable Discussion on Women’s Land Rights
Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia, through its Stand for Her Land (S4HL) campaign, recently organized a media roundtable workshop to discuss the revised Federal and Oromia Rural Land Administration and Land Use Proclamations.
The workshop highlighted key recommendations to strengthen women’s land rights, including:
-Mainstreaming Women’s Land Rights (WLR) and gender equality into editorial policies.
- Conducting regular media programs on the importance of WLR and the legal framework supporting it.
- Organizing panel discussions to enhance legal literacy among the public through media engagement.
- Emphasizing the pivotal role of media in informing communities and shaping perceptions about land rights. This initiative underscores the critical partnership between media and civil society in promoting gender equality and legal awareness in land administration.
- Emphasizing the pivotal role of media in informing communities and shaping perceptions about land rights. This initiative underscores the critical partnership between media and civil society in promoting gender equality and legal awareness in land administration.
S4HL TV and Radio Engagement
The Stand for Her Land (S4HL) campaign successfully organized two major radio panel discussions and a television panel discussion, reaching an impressive audience across Ethiopia.
The media engagement achieved massive outreach, with an estimated 90 million people accessing the content through various media platforms. Television alone reached approximately 65 million viewers, with livestreaming amplifying awareness on Women’s Land Rights (WLR), reinforcing the legal framework, and influencing decisions for the effective implementation of the Rural Land Proclamation.
These discussions highlight the campaign’s commitment to leveraging media to educate, empower, and engage the public on crucial land rights issues.
S4HL Representation on the International Stage
Stand for Her Land (S4HL) Ethiopia had the honor of having Ethiopian grassroots women represent the campaign at the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2–13, 2024.
The engagement offered valuable lessons, including the importance of aligning S4HL’s advocacy messages with the UNCCD’s gender equality agenda. The sessions provided a strong foundation for future advocacy efforts and highlighted potential entry points for grassroots initiatives.
A key takeaway was that securing women’s land tenure is fundamental for achieving successful land restoration and sustainable development.
African Climate Summit II Participation
In September 2025, the S4HL campaign team took part in the African Climate Summit II held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. During the summit, the team advocated for the critical role of women's land rights in enhancing climate resilience and supporting climate change mitigation efforts. As part of their outreach, they distributed 170 copies of a fact sheet emphasizing the strong connection between women's land rights and climate action to key stakeholders and decision-makers.
National Workshop on Faith-Based Approaches
Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia hosted a workshop titled "Faith Leaders as Change Agents to Transform Social Norms: An Ethiopian Christianity Perspective" to explore faith-based strategies for advancing women's land rights. A key outcome of the workshop was a reference guide grounded in theological perspectives from various denominations, highlighting biblical support for women's land rights and gender equality. The workshop underscored the vital role of faith-based initiatives in challenging harmful social norms and promoting equitable land rights.
Commemorating the International Day of Rural Women at the African Union
On October 14–15, 2025, Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia hosted a commemoration of the International Day of Rural Women at the African Union. The event highlighted key insights to guide future advocacy efforts, including the need to strengthen advocacy for secure women’s land rights and control over natural resources, collaborate closely with traditional leaders, promote inclusive governance and accountability mechanisms, and advance climate justice initiatives.
Conference on Land Policy in Africa
Habitat for Humanity actively participated in the 2025 Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA), held from November 10–13 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The conference highlighted land governance as a key pillar in addressing Africa's most pressing challenges—including climate change, rapid urbanization, conflict, and economic development—aligning closely with Habitat for Humanity’s mission to provide safe and secure housing for all.
Sideline Events Hosted by HFHE After the CLPA Conference
Following the CLPA Conference, Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia (HFHE) organized several high-level events in Addis Ababa and Adama City. On November 14, 2025, HFHE convened a dialogue with Women Members of Parliament and the Women Land Rights Taskforce to discuss advancing women’s land rights.
On November 15, 2025, HFHE hosted a learning visit and experience-sharing program in Adama City. This program provided an opportunity for cross-learning among S4HL implementing countries across Africa, allowing participants to share best practices, lessons learned, achievements, challenges, and contextual approaches to advancing women’s land rights.