ABA ROLI Launches Report on Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Customary Land Rights and Livelihoods in Southern Africa

On December 3, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), Freedom House, and Internews—the consortium partners in the Advancing Human Rights in Southern Africa (ARISA) program— launched three reports under the program titled, “Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Customary Land Rights and Livelihoods in Southern Africa,” “COVID 19 and its Impact on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights” and “Things will Never be the Same Again: Effects of COVID 19 on Freedom of Expression in Southern Africa,” respectively. The launch of the reports was designed to give regional partners an opportunity to dissect the reports’ findings and recommendations and propose ways of utilizing them in their efforts to promote, protect and enforce human rights in the context of COVID-19 in Southern Africa.

The main objective of the reports was to assess the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and regional governments’ responses to COVID-19 and the implications of those responses on the enjoyment of the identified human rights— women’s customary land rights, indigenous people’s rights, and freedom of expression. The reports provide recommendations on how regional governments can balance the public health concerns wrought by COVID-19 and the need to protect citizens’ rights, including the rights of the most vulnerable populations in the region. They also provide recommendations to civil society partners on how they can engage with citizens and governments in promoting human rights during COVID-19 and other pandemic or emergency/disaster situations.

The virtual launch was attended by participants from civil society organizations from different countries in the region, international organizations, donors, the media and human rights institutions. The launch was preceded by presentations on the reports’ key findings and recommendations by the authors namely: Makanatsa Makonese (ABA ROLI), Roshnee Narrandes (Freedom House) and Teldah Mawarire (Internews). In response to the ABA ROLI report, Amnesty International Southern Africa’s Regional Director Deprose Muchena stated that “The women’s rights angle of impact of COVID-19 on women’s customary land rights is a fresh and unique angle that I have not seen in COVID-19 related analyses” and the South African Human Rights Commission’s Chief Operations Officer Chantal Kisoon appreciated the reports’ role in regional efforts to protect human rights in the context of the pandemic.

After the launch, the reports were shared with all participants and other relevant stakeholders. Key recipients of the reports included national human rights institutions in Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and eSwatini, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Southern Africa Regional Office, the SADC Secretariat’s Legal Unit and Disaster Risk Reduction Unit and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. ABA ROLI and the ARISA Consortium partners will continue to engage with key civil society organizations, human rights institutions, United Nations and African Union institutions and others to popularize the reports and ensure that the findings and recommendations are used to protect, promote and enforce citizens’ rights in the context of COVID-19.

Please use the following links to view and read the full reports:

• ABA ROLI: Impact of COVID-19 on Women’s Customary Land Rights and Livelihoods in Southern Africa
• Freedom House: COVID 19 and its Impact on Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
• Internews: Things will Never be the Same Again: Effects of COVID 19 on Freedom of Expression in Southern Africa

Learn more about ABA ROLI's work across Africa.