In many parts of Uganda, women are quietly pushed aside when it comes to land ownership. Despite contributing to their families and communities, they are told they have no claim to the land where they were born on or no right to inherit from their fathers.
But Monica Anyede, a 40 year old widow and mother of three from Busia District in eastern Uganda refused to accept that fate.
What began as a painful family inheritance dispute became a powerful journey of resistance, one that would see Monica defy cultural norms and reclaim her place on her father’s land.
Monica’s life changed forever in 1997 when her father passed away.
“I was 14 years old and in in Primary Six when my father died in 1997. I come from a polygamous family. My father left behind nine children, three boys and six girls. The boys were all older than us. After his death, our second born brother took charge. But instead of protecting the family, he took everything. He didn’t just exclude the girls, he even pushed out our brothers.”
Despite their father leaving 50 acres of land, their mother was allowed to access only two acres and even that was contested. Monica’s education was disrupted, her dreams put on hold as the land that was meant to support them slipped out of reach.
Years later, in 2015, tragedy struck again. Monica who had grown up and gotten married lost her husband. Though he had left her some land, Monica longed to return to her childhood home and rebuild her life with her children on the land her father once owned.
“When my husband died, I asked my brother to allocate me just a small piece of our father’s land so I could farm and take care of my children. He dodged me, ignored me and refused to help.”
Even the two acres that their mother had quietly cultivated for years were taken from them. With no legal documents to prove ownership Monica and her mother were told to leave.
But things began to change in 2023, when Monica attended the Grassroots Women’s Land Rights Academy in Soroti, organized by the Stand for Her Land campaign that is coordinated by UCOBAC.
“The training gave me more than knowledge, it gave me the confidence to fight back and stand for the land that belonged to all of us the children,” she says.
That same year, her eldest brother attempted to survey the land and without informing or consulting any of the siblings. Monica stepped in.
“I told the village chairman and the survey team that no surveying would happen until the land was fairly divided among all the nine children,” she recalls.
Her brother escalated the matter. He took her to local leaders, the police and even the Resident District Commissioner. Monica was summoned and accused of fighting over land that did not belong to her.
But she came prepared.
“I wore my Stand For Her Land T shirt I had received from the academy. It reminded me that I had a right to be there and stand for our fathers land. In that meeting, I stood up and told everyone that our brother will not take all 50 acres while the rest of us are left with nothing.”
Monica’s courage paid off. After months of tension and negotiations, the family finally reached an agreement. The girls including Monica and her sisters were given 10 acres and the boys received the remaining 40.
“We didn’t get equal shares but we got something. We got recognition. We got justice,” she said.
Though her relationship with her brother remains strained, Monica has no regrets.
“If I had not attended that training, I would still believe that land belongs only to men. Now, all nine of us have land. I stood up for myself but I am happy that all my sisters and brothers got justice as well.”
Today, Monica is a respected voice in her community. As a leader among small scale miners, she is often approached for advice especially by women facing land disputes.
She recalls helping a woman living abroad who called in distress after her brother tried to grab the land she had purchased. Monica mediated the issue and resolved it.
The ripple effect of the training and the knowledge she acquired in the grassroots academy is growing. “When there is a land issue, people say: ‘Call Monica.’ When I speak, people listen. I thank UCOBAC for changing our lives,” says a joyful Monica.
