ABSTRACTED FROM THE INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Housing, land and property rights issues affect men and women differently; hence these issues are not gender-neutral and require a gender equality analysis of the problem. While equal rights between men and women are enshrined in the 1993 Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia (the Constitution) and in a number of national laws, in practice women are still subordinate to men.

OVERVIEW: Cambodia is a largely agrarian country that emerged from a history of political strife and instability into a period of steady economic growth. However, the country started from such a low base that even after a decade of growth averaging 7% per annum, GDP is only $650. Cambodia is ranked 176th out of 213 countries in terms of purchasing-power parity. Poverty rates have reduced somewhat, but they remain higher than in most countries in the region and are only slightly lower than in Laos.

The presentation will highlight the importance of establishing knowledge and understanding about “gender mainstreaming” strategies and gender equality within the Cambodian Land Administration Sub Sector Program (LA-SSP) and the land policy. Gender oriented objectives of the LA-SSP comprise of sustainable improvement of the living conditions of the urban and rural population of Cambodia, especially for women.

Cambodia has a land area of 181 035 square kilometers and a population of almost 14 million people (2008). In 2008, about 82 percent of the households lived in rural areas. A large majority of these households engage in rice- based agriculture, collection of forest products and livestock production. The agricultural sector generates about 32 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and provides employment to about 80 percent of the country’s labour force. The sector is dominated by small farm households who are mainly engaged in subsistence production.

In 2010, the ILC Secretariat decided to update information contained in the 2004 publication, so as to have a new basis to work more closely with and through CEDAW at national level. The update gives more visibility to the CEDAW Committee’s Concluding Observations and, accordingly, also to the CSOs’ shadow reports feeding them. This inclusion offers a more critical and comprehensive, if preliminary, overview of the situation of rural women in selected countries. NOTE: The 2004 publication is also available through this site.

Burma is situated in Southeastern Asia, bordering Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. The majority of its population lives in rural areas and depends on land as a primary means of livelihood. Because all land in Burma ultimately belongs to the state, citizens and organizations depend upon use-rights, but do not own land. Burma’s laws grant women equal rights in some respects and also recognize certain customary laws that provide women equal rights in relation to land.

Source: Fao.org

El caso aborda la historia de tres mujeres que ante el deceso de sus cónyuges, pierden la garantía para validar sus derechos sobre las posesiones de tierra. La lucha por sus tierras se hizo desde el liderazgo, la toma del control de sus tierras o por acuerdos familiares. Estas estrategias les han permitido garantizar su acceso a la tierra, su empoderamiento y reconocimiento dentro de la comunidad.

Repasa la legislación agraria desde la reforma de 1953, pasando por la constitución del 2009 y la legislación boliviana hasta septiembre del 2013.

Las dos historias de vida que se presentan en este documento muestran las estrategias que dos mujeres asumieron para superar la discriminación en el acceso a la tierra vía herencia, empleando para ello en un caso, la negociación y los acuerdos familiares, y en el otro, la compra venta negociada.

El caso de la Asociación de Hilanderas de Tilipulo muestra a una organización de mujeres que ante la necesidad de alimentos, y formando parte de un territorio, han emprendido un proceso de reivindicación por su acceso a la tierra

El caso de la familia Nina Puma se constituye en un ejemplo de acceso a la tierra a través de transferencia de tierras por medio de la herencia en la comunidad de Acopía y la compra de un terreno en la ciudad de Cusco, Perú. El retorno a la comunidad de Acopía se transformó en un emprendimiento familiar vinculado a proyectos de mejoramiento de viviendas y la oferta turística vivencial.