The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the Soulaliyate movement was able to gain limited recognition of their right to collective land via public authorities, and to bring about modest policy change. We draw mainly on the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to analyze the process of land policy change. Our methodology is based on desk and media reviews, as well as interviews with civil society actors. Our analysis shows that there is a strong ProSoulaliyate Advocacy Coalition, which benefited from political opportunities provided by political openness, and socioeconomic conditions to advocate for Soulaliyate rights to land, on an equal footing with men. Thanks to collective action and strong backing of the media, this coalition forced the government to issue three ministerial circulars in favor of the Soulaliyate’s right to collective lands. However, male leaders of rural communities – who form the backbone of an Anti-Soulaliyate group of actors – fiercely resisted their implementation on the pretext of contradicting custom norms (urf). This case study also shows the lack of political will to overcome archaic and patriarchal values. The analysis supports the ACF’s hypothesis on policy change. This social movement framework provides insights into coalition formation and strategies, in addition to the entrepreneurial spirit of the Soulaliyate leaders. More generally, a complementary approach to policy change issues might work in certain cases, as different theories and frameworks provide different perspectives to explain them.