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Hindu Women’s Property Rights in India: A Critical Appraisal
Full citation: Patel, R. (2006). “Hindu Women’s Property Rights in India: A Critical Appraisal.” Third World Quarterly, 27(7), 1255–1268. – This paper looks at changes in Hindu women’s position regarding property rights, and argues that rights conferred through law must be analyzed in light of their contexts (cultural, historical, etc.) to determine their practical legitimacy. It addresses the need to critically define the bases and contours of ‘rights’ as created by law. Taking the example of changes in Hindu women’s position in relation to property through the rights generated by statutory and constitutional provisions, the article critically evaluates the potential for such […]
Women’s Land Rights and Children’s Human Capital in Vietnam
Full citation: Menon, N., van der Meulen Rodgers, Y., and Nguyen, H. (2014). “Women’s Land Rights and Children’s Human Capital in Vietnam.” World Development, 54, 18-31. – Vietnam’s 1993 Land Law created a land market by granting households land-use rights which could be exchanged, leased, and mortgaged. Using a matched household sample from Vietnam’s 2004 and 2008 Household Living Standards Survey, this study analyzes whether land titling for women led to improvements in child health and education. Results from the land market indicate that female-only held land-use rights decreased the incidence of illness among children, increased their health insurance coverage, […]
The gender asset gap: land in Latin America
Full citation: Deere, C. and Leon, M. (2003). “The gender asset gap: land in Latin America.” World Development, 31 (6), pp 925-947. – The gender asset gap in Latin America with respect to ownership of land is significant. In few countries do women constitute even one-quarter of the landowners. Gender inequality in land ownership is related to male preference in inheritance, male privilege in marriage, male bias in community and state programs of land distribution as well as gender bias in the land market, with women less likely than men to be successful buyers. But there are also important differences […]
Gender and Land Tenure Reform
Full citation: Giovarelli, R. (2009). “Gender and Land Tenure Reform,” in ONE BILLION RISING 196 (R. Prosterman, et al. eds., Leiden U. Press). – This chapter talks about specific threats to women’s land rights. They include that it may be culturally or legally impossible for women to acquire land rights through markets, inheritance, transfer or gift; that a woman’s marital status (marriage, divorce, bride price, dowry or polygamy) may create barriers to women’s land rights; that privatization or individualization of land may result in loss of non-ownership rights that women have to land (e.g., the right to use land); and […]
The Mystery of Capital Formation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Women, Property Rights and Customary Law
Full citation: Joireman, S.F. (2008). “The Mystery of Capital Formation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Women, Property Rights and Customary Law,” World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 1233-1246, July. – Economists such as Hernando De Soto have argued that clearly defined property rights are essential to capital formation and ultimately to economic growth and poverty alleviation. This article traces two impediments to the clear definition of property rights in the African context: customary law and the status of women. Both of these issues interfere with the attempt of African countries to rearticulate property law with the goal of capital formation. Constructive attempts […]
Entitled to Work: Urban Property Rights and Labor Supply in Peru
Full citation: Field, E. (2007). “Entitled to Work: Urban Property Rights and Labor Supply in Peru.” Quarterly Journal of Economics 122 (4): 1561-602. – Receipt of legal documents (land titles) allowed former squatters, especially women, to join formal labor markets instead of staying at home to guard their land, thereby increasing their income and reducing child labor. [Threats to Women’s Land Tenure Security and Effectiveness of Interventions – Annotated Bibliography]
Gender and Agroforestry in Africa: A review of women’s participation
Full citation: Kiptot, E. and Franzel, S. (2012). “Gender and agroforestry in Africa: A review of women’s participation.” Agroforestry Systems, 84(1), 35-58. – This paper presents a review of agroforestry in Africa from a gender perspective. It examines women’s participation relative to men and the challenges and successes they experience. The review shows that agroforestry has the potential to offer substantial benefits to women; however, their participation is low in enterprises that are considered men’s domain, such as timber and high in enterprises that have little or no commercial value, such as collection of indigenous fruits and vegetables. Data on […]
Environmental and gender impacts of land tenure regularization in Africa: pilot evidence from Rwanda
Full citation: Ali, D.A., Deininger, K., and Goldstein, M. (2014). “Environmental and gender impacts of land tenure regularization in Africa: pilot evidence from Rwanda.” Journal of Development Economics, vol. 110, 2014, 262-275. – This paper evaluates the short-term impact (approximately 2.5 years after completion) of Rwanda’s land tenure regularization pilots. The findings included, land tenure regularization improved land access for legally married women and prompted better recordation of inheritance rights without gender bias; and for female-headed households, specifically, regularization had a very large impact on investment and maintenance of soil conservation measures. [Threats to Women’s Land Tenure Security and Effectiveness of […]
Gender and Green Governance
Full citation: Agarwal, B. (2010). Gender and Green Governance (Oxford: Oxford University Press). – This book is based on a primary survey of community forestry institutions (CFIs) in the early 2000s, and on fieldwork in Nepal and India. It examines the impact the gender composition of a group has on women’s effective participation, rule-making, rule violations, forest conservation, and firewood and fodder shortages. It finds that women’s greater presence in CFIs has many statistically demonstrable benefits. It enhances women’s effective voice in decision-making; influences the nature of decisions made, especially the rules of forest use and their implementation; and improves […]
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