MALAWI: GOOD PRACTICES FROM A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PLATFORM

Participating members: NES Malawi

LOCATION: Malawi

In Malawi, since 2013, the National Engagement Strategy Platform on Land Governance provides a space for dialogue among different categories of stakeholders such as government, civil society, academia, media, private sector and the right holders themselves. The NES promotes a multi-sectoral approach to dealing with the major land governance issues in the country. Although the government has recently introduced a suite of ten land laws that make land governance more equitable and gender sensitive, it remains difficult to translate these into practice.

NES Malawi has offered trainings on the new land laws to traditional leaders, who play a fundamental role in the management of land in rural areas. In parallel, it has promoted consultations on the implementation of the land laws through community meetings and workshops, becoming an important reference for the Government to align the implementation guidelines and procedures with the needs and issues faced by women, men and youth on the ground.

In order to raise awareness and improve the understanding of the new land laws among Malawian people, the NES has supported national radio and television programmes on the new land laws. By engaging students in rural communities, support was also offered for the formulation of plays and songs advocating for the promotion of the voice of women and youth in land issues.

These were recorded and aired on community radios. Implementing effectively the new land laws remains the main challenge in Malawi and mobilisation in this regard is scarce, apart from the activities supported by the NES Platform. In this scenario, the NES, as a truly multistakeholder platform, is paving the way for a successful implementation of the laws through a coordinated and inclusive approach.