Land literacy to enhance Rural Womenns Secure Land Rights in Odisha, India
Sonali Mohapatra
Land is arguably one of the most critical assets for people in developing countries who rely on agriculture to support their livelihoods. Secure rights to land can help improve agricultural productivity, improve food security, and ultimately alleviate poverty. Yet, research increasingly shows that the positive effects of land-ownership are more drastic when women hold the rights to the land, instead of just the male headof- household. In India, for example, various legislative efforts have attempted to address this issue, encouraging at the very least joint-titling, but land-ownership remains heavily male-dominated. This paper will argue that while such trends continue to be influenced by pervasive gender biased norms and practices on the supply side (e.g. conservative government officials in charge of implementation), attention need also be given to increasing awareness across potential female beneficiaries, who have so far failed to demand or even acknowledge the right for their names to be included on the land documents. Specifically, this paper will examine efforts supported by Landesa, an NGO focused on womenns land rights, which aim to improve the rate of female land-ownership by influencing systems and processes on the supply side, as well as addressing literacy and awareness issues on the demand-sidee.
Event: Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2015
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