Empowerment of Women: Navigating the Dynamics of Land Access and Ownership


Oluwaseun Bamigboye, Federal University Oye Ekiti

The global challenges surrounding women’s access to and ownership of land persist. While numerous studies have addressed women’s rights to land, a clear distinction exists between access to land and actual ownership. Surprisingly, there is a dearth of comprehensive analyses examining the trends and key findings that link women’s empowerment with the dynamics of land access and ownership. This study introduces a conceptual framework to identify the various dimensions of women’s land access and ownership. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, articles were screened from diverse databases using different notions of women’s empowerment, land access and ownership. The examination identified twenty-six review studies from various countries. The current mapping highlights a consistent association between women’s empowerment and access to land in the majority of the review studies. However, there is a notable scarcity of studies focusing on women’s land ownership. The study categorizes the concept of land access and ownership into rights and control, security, economic benefits, type of agreement, vulnerability, decision making and acquisition. To empower women in land-related matters, strategies should not only concentrate on granting access but also on facilitating ownership. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and development practitioners to design and implement effective strategies that uplift and empower women in land ownership. Ultimately, these efforts contribute to fostering gender equality and sustainable development.

Non-presenting author: Olapade Bamigboye, Akwa Ibon State University

This paper will be presented at the following session: