GENDER, ETHNICITY, AND LANDED PROPERTY IN ALBANIA

Abstract

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,