The Multi-Actors Platform on Land Governance and Responsible Agricultural Investment in Liberia (MAP Liberia Land Platform), in collaboration with the Liberia Land Authority (LLA), recently conducted a one-day capacity-building workshop for People with Disabilities (PWDs) on key provisions of the Land Rights Act (LRA).
Despite previous awareness campaigns, PWDs in Liberia continue to face significant barriers in engaging with the land sector.
These challenges include a lack of understanding of their land rights, the need for better protection of the land interests of women and girls with disabilities, and difficulties navigating the institutional structures of the LLA.
The training aimed to tackle these issues by enhancing PWDs’ understanding of the LRA, especially the four categories of land ownership outlined in the law: government, public, private, and customary land. It also highlighted how PWDs can actively participate in land governance decisions, particularly in implementing the LRA.
Participants were encouraged to share the knowledge gained from the session with their communities and to advocate for including marginalized groups—such as women, youth, and people with disabilities—in land-related discussions.
Aretha Togba, Program Coordinator of the Organization for Women Empowerment, provided a comprehensive overview of the LRA. She emphasized that the law recognizes four categories of land ownership and empowers communities to manage their land through Community Land Development Management Committees (CLDMC).
Togba stressed that women, including women with disabilities, have the right to participate equally in land management decisions and are entitled to own land both individually and collectively.
In his address, the Executive Director of the National Union of Organizations of the Disabled (NUOD) highlighted the importance of greater inclusion of PWDs in the LRA’s implementation. He called for the LLA to ensure that PWDs are represented in land dispute resolution processes and included in decision-making activities of land governance bodies such as the LLA and CLDMCs.
Yarsiah also advocated for more explicit provisions within the LRA concerning PWDs, particularly for women, youth, and children. He called for increased awareness campaigns, including radio programs and the use of sign language interpreters, to ensure the full participation of PWDs in land rights matters.
