In Sierra Leone the passage of the Customary Land Rights Act (CLRA) in 2022 marked a milestone for inclusive land governance, securing tenure rights for women and marginalized groups. The reform abolished all forms of discrimination based on gender, tribe, religion, ethnicity, marital status, or social or economic standing, and mandates that women hold at least 30 percent of seats in all land governance bodies, guaranteeing their role in land-related decisions (Sierra Leone 2022).

This landmark legislation was the result of years of grassroots mobilization and sustained public pressure in which a consortium of four civil society organizations called Land for Life Sierra Leone played an active role. Established in 2019 with support from Welthungerhilfe’s Land for Life program, the consortium contributed through community-driven advocacy, capacity development, and the facilitation of local dialogue.

Land is more than an economic asset—it holds social, cultural, and ecological value and is central to food production and livelihoods. When people lack secure tenure, it undermines their ability to produce food, plan for the future, or recover from shocks, making them vulnerable to food insecurity. However, land governance is often highly complex, shaped by overlapping legal systems and entrenched power imbalances that make it difficult for individuals, especially women and marginalized groups, to access, control, or defend their land.

To address these complexities in practice, Welthungerhilfe's Land for Life program places multi-actor collaboration at its core. A key element of this approach is the creation of multi-actor partnerships (MAPs)—structured dialogue platforms that bring together stakeholders from across society: traditional leaders, local and national officials, farmers, civil society, and private sector actors. These platforms provide a space for exchange and a mechanism to navigate competing interests, overcome mistrust, and foster local solutions in complex governance environments.

Land for Life Sierra Leone initiated 16 MAPs across the country: 12 at the chiefdom level and 4 at the district level. By facilitating inclusive consultations in the process leading to the CLRA, the MAPs helped to ensure that the new legislation reflected community realities and upheld the rights of those historically left out of decision-making. At the national level Land for Life Sierra Leone has also advocated for land rights that are consistent with international human rights standards.

Today, MAPs in Sierra Leone help identify gaps in the implementation of the new land law. With the support of Welthungerhilfe, MAPs help communities strengthen their land rights by providing training, building legal literacy, fostering exchange, and building a culture of dialogue.

For women like Marie Olimbo Sesay, a farmer in Port Loko District, the capacity-building efforts empowered her to fight for her legal land rights: “I was denied access to my father's land because I am a woman. I'm glad I was able to fight in court for my right to own and use the land.” After successfully acquiring land, Marie reports that now she cultivates vegetables and tree crops, earns income through local trade, and supports other women in navigating their land rights, turning legal recognition into economic empowerment and community leadership.

To promote the broader adoption of MAPs across different contexts, the Land for Life program has developed a practical toolbox to guide their facilitation and operation. Drawing on eight years of experience in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, the toolbox offers tested methods for building trust, enabling collective leadership, and navigating power dynamics in complex governance contexts (Welthungerhilfe et al. 2025).

1. This case study was prepared by Welthungerhilfe (WHH). Since 2011 the WHH Land for Life initiative works with financial support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with local partners in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone and at the international level to jointly address land governance challenges. WHH, supported by the Civil Society Academy (CSA) and the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), provides backstopping support, facilitates workshops, and links the country-level partners to relevant actors.