Field Research on Land Rights, in Particular Land Inheritance Rights of Women and Girls in Ethiopia

The Forum of Federations is an international learning organization, based in Canada, working on federal and devolved governance across the globe. The Forum has been legally established in Ethiopia since 2008 as an international organization. Currently, the Forum is implementing a 5-year project, Strengthening Federal Governance and Pluralism in Ethiopia, funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and implemented with various Ethiopian partners led by the House of Federation. The Project addresses weaknesses in Ethiopia’s federal governance with the ultimate outcome of a strengthened and more responsive federal system for Ethiopian men and women.

The Forum has recently completed a comprehensive desk review of the existing research on Ethiopia’s legal, policy and administrative frameworks and practices. This has also included a review of cases that have been brought to the Council of Constitutional Inquiry (CCI). Building on the desk review, the next step is to conduct field research to gather deeper empirical evidence of the root causes of gaps and blockages to women and girls enjoying land inheritance rights as they have been established in the constitution and subsequent legal and policy instruments, as well as identify with frontline practitioners possible strategies for addressing the identified weaknesses in the system. This study is intended to gather empirical evidence on the gaps and barriers throughout the system that prevent the realization of land rights of women and girls in general and land inheritance in particular, taking the cases brought to the CCI as an entry point.

Scope of the Study

The assignment includes three main components: 

• A research report on system gaps and barriers to women and girls achieving their rights for land inheritance. The consultant(s) will be expected to develop the specific research questions and data collection methodologies as part of their inception report (see below).  Among the issues to be investigated, preliminary list includes the following:
  • Socio-cultural barriers including gender dynamics
  • Implementation of policies and laws
  • Judicial practice
  • Knowledge and information gaps
  • Process and procedures of constitutional interpretation (service delivery). ­­
• Development of strategies with key actors for addressing the gaps and barriers. This will be mainly in the form of a workshop(s) of stakeholders that review the findings of the field research and develop strategies together as representatives of the system required to affect change.  
• Completion of a final report that includes a summary of findings of steps 1 and 2. 

Study Areas

The field research shall cover 12 woredas that are found in four regional states of Ethiopia ( Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Tigray) where constitutional interpretation cases related with women’s rights to land arose at the CCI. The woredas and respective regions are presented in the following table: -

Methodologies

The consultant(s) will be required to develop a detailed research plan as part of the Inception report (see Tasks table below). This will include identification of target data, research questions, data collection methods/tools, plan for collection of data and reporting and analysis of data. It is expected that the data will be collected from selected individuals and groups at federal, regional and woreda level using qualitative methods such as Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD), though the consultant will present their own specific approaches in the Inception report.

Major tasks and timeline

Qualification & Experience required

• Demonstrated experience in design and conducting field research for public policy purposes
• High level of knowledge of gender equality issues and dynamics in Ethiopia
• Knowledge of women and girls’ land inheritance issues in Ethiopia a major asset.
• Knowledge and understanding on Ethiopian constitution
• Relevant professional or post-graduate qualifications in law gender, governance, human rights (PhD preferred but not required)
• Sound knowledge and applications of feminist research principles.