This article highlights the gender  inequality that currently exists in land ownership in Zambia. Zambia currently has two land tenure systems, both of which are relic of the colonial era. In both of these systems, majority of the land ownership is along patriarchal lines.  Research has shown that the attainment of  women's land rights can and could possibly contribute to the social and economic development of a country.

Gender and land rights are closely intertwined with each other. Globally, more than 400 million women work in agriculture. Women comprise 43 percent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, yet they account for less than 20 percent of landholders (FAO 2011). These disparities are even higher in some regions. In Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, 60 to 70 percent of employed women work in agriculture, with similar rates of land ownership (that is, less than 20 percent).

Target 1.4 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) seeks to ensure that “all men and women, particularly the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights … to ownership and control over land and other forms of property.”

This target’s inclusion under SDG Goal 1, on “ending poverty in all its forms,” signifies a new global recognition that secure land tenure should be a central strategy in combating poverty. However, this land agenda has not been prominent in recent SDG reporting processes of governments.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) supports entrepreneurs in sustainable, agrarian, innovative and international business and cooperation. Its support includes grants and other support instruments, finding business partners, know-how, and guidance to comply with laws and regulations. RVO is a government agency that operates under the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Its activities are commissioned by the various Dutch ministries and the European Union.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1.4.2 and 5.A.1 refer to the strengthening of women’s land and property rights as a fundamental pathway towards poverty reduction and women’s empowerment. Securing women’s land and property rights can increase agricultural productivity, incentivise the adoption of climate-resilient natural resource management and increase household spending on health and education.

In this paper, we explore how different norms around property rights affect the empowerment of women of different social positions over the life cycle. We first review the conceptual foundations of property, empowerment, and intersectionality, and then present the methodology and empirical findings from ethnographic field work in Nepal. Going beyond formal ownership of property, we look at changes in property rights over personal and joint property at different stages of women’s lives.

This brief builds on the recommendations from the webinar jointly organized by FAO, ARC and WFP on
“Advancing Women’s Leadership in Climate Action and Governance” in March 2021. It was prepared by
FAO Regional Office for Africa Gender and Climate Change teams, in collaboration with the Africa Risk
Capacity Gender Team
 

Women represent a large part of the 2.5 billion people who depend on lands managed through customary, community-based tenure systems and are especially reliant on commons for their lives and livelihoods. They have very often limited and unsecured access to land and natural resources and tend to be excluded from decisions concerning them.

Latin American countries have pursued rural land titling and registration campaigns over the past several decades with a broad range of social and economic goals. These efforts represent a permanent or long-term legal recognition of rights to land as a primary economic asset for agricultural communities and a source of family subsistence, security, and social and cultural wellbeing. Land rights can provide multi-generational benefits to recipients.

This assessment reviews ADB’s experiences in implementing gender mainstreaming in its portfolio in recent years. The assessment method has two main components. The first is a review of the status of gender equality and women’s empowerment in the country, based on a literature review, key statistics, policy documents, and key informant interviews. The second analyzes the achievements and challenges in mainstreaming gender equality in ADB’s programs and operations, and recommends the way forward to improve outcomes.