GRASSROOT SISTERHOOD FOUNDATION (GSF)
Grassroot Sisterhood Foundation is a non-governmental organisation founded with a vision championing a free and fair society where women and girls, the poor and vulnerable claim their rights on equal terms and participate at all levels towards the development of their communities. The head office is based in Tamale in the Northern region of Ghana with sub offices in Saboba and Bawku West.
GSF is focused on increasing awareness on issues around property, land and inheritance rights of women whiles facilitating the formation of community Paralegals or Watchdogs that monitor rights abuses and guard against disinheritance of women and girls. Since its inception, it has undertaken a number of public policy engagement activities such as Piloting the Gender Evaluation Criteria of the Global Land Tool Network on the Land Administration Project and engaging with religious and traditional authority on PNDC Law 111. GSF has again engaged chiefs for space in land and housing related decisions as well as campaigned for compensation for contribution in Home based Care (HIV/AIDS). Grassroot Sisterhood Foundation works with groups like women chiefs, other traditional authorities, grassroots women, women leaders and groups, traditional land related stakeholders, the media and government officials in land-related agencies. Currently, GSF works with about 75 community based women’s groups and organizations representing about 6,000 women in thirteen of the 20 districts of the Northern Region and the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region (www.gsfghana.org).
PHASE I
Under the Mwananchi project, Grassroot Sisterhood Foundation is concentrating on strengthening one of its core mandate i.e. enhancing transparency and accountability in land management: The rights of women in land access and control with vulnerable women farmers at the center. The project aims to improve women’s access to and control of land in the Northern region in Ghana by mobilizing the power of women, chiefs and opinion leaders and liaise with them to improve dialogue between ordinary citizens and traditional authorities. The project undertook participatory community assessments on potential barriers to women’s land tenure security and also triggered community debate on information generated in the customary land policy assessment.
Through these initiatives, women, chiefs and other land related stakeholders and government dialogued on the findings from assessments to identify action points to review the customary land policy which eventually has led to the development and documentation of traditional land policies. There has also been increased information flow, transparency and accountability on customary land management. With this, women’s participation in land administration and management and access and control of land has improved.
PHASE II
Information for Phase II is not yet available