Update on Resource Equity
After nearly a decade of working together, Resource Equity has made the difficult decision to close and pursue other opportunities.
We are in the process of trying to secure new homes for the Women’s Land Rights Institute and LandWise legal database, so please stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, these resources will continue to be hosted here.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years!
Who we are
Creating lasting change for women through land rights
Our Story
At Resource Equity, we believe empowered women change the world
Evidence shows that giving women equitable land and resource rights brings social and economic progress.
We’ve seen it work in practice through our many years of experience. So, in 2014, we established Resource Equity as a global organization focused on women and land. We want to create a world that is equitable, secure, and empowering for women everywhere. We know that stronger land rights are a key step in making that happen.
Our team of gender and land tenure lawyers have been putting that experience and knowledge to work around the world, advocating for legal, policy, and social change. We serve as a global source for research, best practice, and policymaking.
We’re committed to collaborating with global partners to focus on women, land, and resources. We’re proud that our work with these partners has helped reduce poverty and improve women’s social, legal, and economic status. We know the impact reaches further than the individual. It enhances the lives of their families and communities as well.
Along with our local and international partners, we’re harnessing our expertise, to usher in a new era for women’s land rights.
What we do
We offer actionable insights and support to help reduce poverty by advancing women’s rights to land and natural resources. We do this by bridging the gap between laws, research, and practical application.
Find what you need
We provide a comprehensive library of laws that govern women’s rights to land and property and publications on customs, practice, and interventions so you can make informed decisions in policy, programming, and research.
We interpret what’s out there
We distil and analyze evidence on what works (or could work) for women’s land and property rights so that you can use that evidence in your work.
We answer your questions
We help you overcome barriers to women’s land and property rights, by providing detailed technical support, or answering your questions at our Help Desk.
We learn together
We give you a forum to learn and to share knowledge, skills, and strategies on what works for women’s land and property rights, through structured training (with a credential), and topical seminars.
Where we've worked
Our team has worked on women’s land and resource issues in Africa (Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda); Asia and Pacific (China, India, Jordan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Vietnam); South America (Brazil and Peru); and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). We have worked for the World Bank, European Investment Bank, MCC, USAID, GIZ, DFID, the FAO, Rights and Resources Initiative, Ford Foundation, Care International, World Resources Institute, and many others.
Why land rights for women?
Even today, extreme poverty still exists. Statistics show that 10% of the global population lives on less than US$2 a day. Many of these 10% depend on land – for housing, for food, or for income. Yet their rights to that land are weak. This is true for men as well as for women, but global patterns indicate that women have less land, of lesser quality, and with weaker rights than men.
We believe that to achieve better outcomes for women, families, and communities, land rights initiatives must start with women.
We believe in practical and legal change.
Ensuring that women have secure rights to land and resources empowers women and promotes lasting economic growth, more resilient communities, and healthier societies.The numbers tell a story
40%
Of countries have laws that limit women’s rights to property
Up to 150-million
More people could be fed if women had secure rights to land and the resources to make the most of land.
1%
The rate of female ownership of land in rural Morocco.
WHY WE DO IT
Creating a space for lasting social change
By improving women’s land rights, we are creating space for social change – a change that helps women live better lives. There’s also a flow-on effect.
When we support and look after the caretakers in the community, the mother’s and daughters, the whole community benefits in the long run.
Meet Our Board
Don Lichti
Chairman of the Board
Don spent his working career in the healthcare field. The last 25 years were as a Hospital Administrator. Since retirement, he is involved with several small, not for profit organizations.
Julie Shapiro
Member of the Board
Julie Shapiro is a Professor of Law at Seattle University School of Law. She studies how the law adapts – or fails to adapt – to the myriad ways families are structured today.
Richard Gaynor
Member of the Board
Rick Gaynor has spent most of his career working on improving land and property rights in different countries around the world.
What's Happening
News, views & events
Read up on the latest news, research, and events or learn more through our blog.
Get Involved
Help us to make a difference
The statistics show unequivocally that women across the globe face enormous barriers to their economic and physical wellbeing. They also show that by giving women equitable access to land and natural resources, we can lift poverty lines.
We cannot do this alone. Your financial support can make a difference. Become a partner in the global effort to improve women’s equity through land rights. Donate today.