Women’s access to and control over land in the current land administration system in two rural kebeles in Ada’a Woreda of Oromia Region

The study is designed to explore the status of rural women in access to and control over land in the current land administration system in two rural Kebeles in East Shewa Zone Ada’a Woreda of Oromia region on smallholder farmers’ landholding registration. The Ormia National Regional State Rural Land Administration and Use Proclamation and its implementation procedure are examined from a gender perspective in terms of ensuring rural women’s land holding rights and control they have over land. Historical overview on the land question in Ethiopia revealed that tenure systems evolved through historical periods. Land remained under men’s control throughout history and men’s control over land was strengthened by the rural land reform carried out by the Derg. This tenure reform applied rural land distribution using households as unit for rural land allocation and women were disadvantaged as most rural households were headed by men. The Oromia rural land proclamation is not discriminatory on basis of sex. However, policy gaps are evident in addressing women specific issues such as issues of FHHs and women under polygamous marriages. Gaps also exist between policy and implementation. Customary laws and practices have serious impacts on women’s land rights at the level of implementation. The research applied both quantitative and qualitative methods in view of feminist research methodology to properly address issues from a gender perspective. Survey of 318 households was conducted administering questionnaires in the quantitative method. The qualitative method applied was interviews with relevant Woreda office and Kebele LACs, focus group discussions with rural women, case stories and observation. Triangulation method is applied in data collection, data presentation and in analysis of findings. Study findings reveal that women’s access rights to land is less equal than legally provided. This study evidences gaps between policy and implementation. Customary laws and traditional practices generally have impacts on land access rights of single/unmarried, divorced, widowed women and on access rights of women in polygamous marriages. Women’s control over land is not efficiently addressed by the regional rural land policy. This is a significant policy drawback as women’s equal rights on land could not be achieved without gaining control over land. The land administration system in general and the land registration process in particular has not considered women’s participation in community activities and decision-making. Women are not represented in LACs and Sub-Committees in both Kebeles. Study findings indicate absence of autonomous institution as gap in addressing women’s issues in the land administration system. This study also revealed loose linkages between the rural land policy and other regional legislations like the regional family law which provides women’s equal rights on land in marriage and on its abandonment. This study forwards recommendation to address gender gaps identified to ensure women’s equal access to and control over land in the study area. The Oromia rural land proclamation needs revision from a gender perspective to address women’s specific issues and the land administration system should consider women’s participation in the process, their contribution to the system as well as their equal benefits from policy outcomes

Women’s access to and control over land in the current land administration system in two rural kebeles in Ada’a Woreda of Oromia Region

The study is designed to explore the status of rural women in access to and control over land in the current land administration system in two rural Kebeles in East Shewa Zone Ada’a Woreda of Oromia region on smallholder farmers’ landholding registration. The Ormia National Regional State Rural Land Administration and Use Proclamation and its implementation procedure are examined from a gender perspective in terms of ensuring rural women’s land holding rights and control they have over land. Historical overview on the land question in Ethiopia revealed that tenure systems evolved through historical periods. Land remained under men’s control throughout history and men’s control over land was strengthened by the rural land reform carried out by the Derg. This tenure reform applied rural land distribution using households as unit for rural land allocation and women were disadvantaged as most rural households were headed by men. The Oromia rural land proclamation is not discriminatory on basis of sex. However, policy gaps are evident in addressing women specific issues such as issues of FHHs and women under polygamous marriages. Gaps also exist between policy and implementation. Customary laws and practices have serious impacts on women’s land rights at the level of implementation. The research applied both quantitative and qualitative methods in view of feminist research methodology to properly address issues from a gender perspective. Survey of 318 households was conducted administering questionnaires in the quantitative method. The qualitative method applied was interviews with relevant Woreda office and Kebele LACs, focus group discussions with rural women, case stories and observation. Triangulation method is applied in data collection, data presentation and in analysis of findings. Study findings reveal that women’s access rights to land is less equal than legally provided. This study evidences gaps between policy and implementation. Customary laws and traditional practices generally have impacts on land access rights of single/unmarried, divorced, widowed women and on access rights of women in polygamous marriages. Women’s control over land is not efficiently addressed by the regional rural land policy. This is a significant policy drawback as women’s equal rights on land could not be achieved without gaining control over land. The land administration system in general and the land registration process in particular has not considered women’s participation in community activities and decision-making. Women are not represented in LACs and Sub-Committees in both Kebeles. Study findings indicate absence of autonomous institution as gap in addressing women’s issues in the land administration system. This study also revealed loose linkages between the rural land policy and other regional legislations like the regional family law which provides women’s equal rights on land in marriage and on its abandonment. This study forwards recommendation to address gender gaps identified to ensure women’s equal access to and control over land in the study area. The Oromia rural land proclamation needs revision from a gender perspective to address women’s specific issues and the land administration system should consider women’s participation in the process, their contribution to the system as well as their equal benefits from policy outcomes

Realizing women's rights to land and other productive resources

The purpose of this publication is to provide detailed guidance for lawmakers and policymakers, as well as civil society organizations and other stakeholders, to support the adoption and effective implementation of laws, policies and programmes to respect, protect and fulfil women's rights to land and other productive resources. It is based on the results of an expert group meeting held on 25-27 June 2012 in Geneva, Switzerland, during which papers were presented from various sectors and regions. These papers, and the discussions which were informed by them, helped to bring to the surface many of the critical issues facing women today in relation to the enjoyment of their land rights. The publication also incorporates additional case studies submitted by key experts, as well as extensive thematic research

Gender and Property Rights: A Critical Issue in Urban Economic Development

Highlights the need for gender equality in property rights, women's role in advancing economic development, and the importance of urban housing and commercial property rights to development. Calls for including gender issues in development programs

Gender and the Distribution of Wealth in Developing Countries

women, assets, gender inequality, marital regimes, inheritance, land, Latin America, Africa, law

Who owns the land?: Perspectives from rural Ugandans and implications for land acquisitions

Rapid growth of demand for agricultural land is putting pressure on property rights systems, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where customary tenure systems have provided secure land access. Patterns of gradual, endogenous change toward formalization are being challenged by rapid and large-scale demands from outsiders. Little attention has focused on the gender dimensions of this transformation. Based on a study of land tenure in Uganda, this paper analyzes how different ways of defining landownership—based on household reports, existence of ownership documents, and rights over the land—provide very different indications of the gendered patterns of landownership and rights. Although many households report that husbands and wives jointly own the land, women are less likely to be listed on ownership documents, especially titles, and women have fewer land rights. A simplistic focus on title to land misses much of the reality regarding land tenure and could especially have an adverse impact on women's land rights.Gender, land acquisitions, Land tenure, landownership, Property rights,

Strengthening Women's Access to Land into IFAD projects: The Rwanda Experience

This paper is a joint effort of IFAD and RISD to analyse and investigate women's land rights in Rwanda. It presents the outcomes of the investigation on women?s land rights and its implications in the redistribution, delimitation and registration process carried out in the Nyagatare, Gatsibo, Kayonza and Kirehe Districts in the Eastern Province. For the assessment, meetings were held in the four Districts, with IFAD project staff, beneficiaries, Cell and District Executive Secretaries, Districts Mayors, members of various men and women cooperatives, District Land Officers, members of Cell and District Land Committees

GENDER, ETHNICITY, AND LANDED PROPERTY IN ALBANIA

Methods used to privatize state property attest to Albania's commitment to a democratic and egalitarian society: farmland was distributed to the households working on the ex-collectives and state farms, and housing was sold at a nominal price to the families occupying it. There are social issues, however, that influence not only the potential role of property ownership in the development of a democratic society, but also the true workability of some persons' political and economic opportunities. This paper examines two of these social issues: gender and ethnicity. Assuming that property ownership is a necessary condition for establishing a democratic market economy, the potential denial to exercise those rights for a significant proportion of the population on the basis of gender or ethnicity could undermine Albania's attempts to establish a democratic society and dynamic market economy based on equal opportunity.Right of property -- Social aspects -- Albania, Customary law -- Albania, Land tenure -- Social aspects -- Albania, Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Albania, Ethnic groups -- Albania, Women farmers -- Albania, Albania -- Social conditions, Labor and Human Capital, Land Economics/Use,

Patriarchy and Women's Agricultural Production in Rural Nigeria

The crucial importance of women's contribution to food security in developing countries like Nigeria cannot be over emphasized. It is estimated that about 80% of women in rural areas are engaged in food crops production. Rural women are regarded as the mainstay of small scale agriculture. In most developing countries such as Nigeria, the concern for increasing women's economic participation especially in food production can be seen within the wider general concern to alleviate the economic conditions of the poor households, esp cially those in the rural sector, majority ofwhom are-women and who occupy lower socioeconomic status compared to their male counterparts. Nigeria is a patriarchal society and inheritance is patrilineal which invariably--creates severe cultural inhibitions to the aspiration and productive capacity of women. This paper therefore discusses the constraints faced by women in Nigeria as producers and income earners for their families by focusing on women's burden of reproduction, decision making power, access to and ownership of land, capital, information and technology. In discussing this, it is recognized that both women and men are an integral part of the solution to increasing agricultural productivity and improving household food security and nutrition