Human rights, formalisation and women's land rights in Southern and Eastern Africa

Studies in Women's Law, no. 57

By: Ingunn Ikdahl, Anne Hellum, Randi Kaarhus, Tor A. Benjaminsen, Patricia Kameri-Mbote
Published by: Institute of Women’s Law, University of Oslo, 2005
Via: SARPN

This report looks at some of the international and national land reform initiatives from a gendered human rights perspective. In the last few years, there has been a growing interest in how to integrate human rights in development policies and programmes. An overall concern is to ensure that all persons benefit on an equal basis from development policies, plans and programmes. Independent and effective land rights for women have been identified by researchers and policy makers as vitally important for family welfare, food security, gender equality, empowerment, economic efficiency and poverty alleviation (Agarwal 1994, 2002). Unequal ownership and control of land is a critical factor which creates and maintains differences between women and men in relation to economic well-being, social status and empowerment. In Kenya for example, less than 5 % of the holders of land titles are women (Kameri-Mbote & Mubuu 2002). In spite of their legally disadvantaged position, African women produce 60–80% of the continent’s food (FAO). The World Bank policy research report Land policies for growth and poverty reduction points to evidence that increased control by women over land and other assets could have ‘a strong and immediate effect on the welfare of the next generation and on the level and pace at which human and physical capital are accumulated’ (WB 2003:38). ...