Women And Secure Property Rights : A How-To Primer On Effective Reform In Developing Countries
Susan Corts Hill
Women in many parts of the developing world face numerous challenges unique to their gender. One of these challenges relates to a right that both men and women in the developed world most likely take for granted: the ability to legally own land and property in their own name. Despite the fact that women represent half the global population, produce the majority of global food supply, and perform 60 to80% of the agricultural work in developing countries, women own less than 15% of all titled land worldwide. Without access to land and property, womennparticularly married women and single mothersshave difficulty obtaining sufficient and predictable sources of income and are much more likely to face homelessness, poverty and violence. The barriers to secure property rights are varied, complicated, and often intertwined. They include, but are not limited to, insufficient legal and regulatory systems, gender discrimination, corruption, and the disintegration of customary and traditional protections. This paper will argue that (1) formal legal and policy reform is foundational; (2) education and awareness of rights and how to access those rights is key; (3) implementation and enforcement of laws and policies are essential; (4) convenient and affordable access to the legal system is critical; and (5) a holistic approach is the best. Laws in many countriesseither intentionally or simply by omissionndo not recognize the property rights of women or they treat their rights as secondary to the rights of men. Thus, reforming the laws or policies is often an important first step in effecting change in womenns lives. However, in many countries lack of awareness is frequently seen as the single biggest obstacle to successfully implementing new laws regarding womenns property rights. Women do not turn to the law when they are wrongfully denied property because they simply do not know that they have these rights, and even women who do know and understand their rights often feel pressure not to assert them.
Event: Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2015
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