(RUS1a) Mainstreaming Gender and Land Policy in Asian and Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons on Issues and Strategies for Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development I
Friday Jun 07 11:00 am to 12:30 pm (Eastern Daylight Time)
Online via the CSA
Session Code: RUS1a
Session Format: Paper Presentations
Session Language: English
Research Cluster Affiliation: Not Applicable
Session Categories: Virtual Session
Gender inequality in land ownership, access, and control is a significant issue in many Asian and Sub-Saharan African countries. For instance, in Asia, women constitute only 10% of landholders, and they usually own smaller plots of land than men. Similarly, in Sub-Saharan Africa, women are often excluded from land ownership and control due to customary laws and practices that favor men. This situation has adverse effects on agricultural and rural development, as women play a crucial role in food production and security. To address these issues, many countries have developed legal frameworks that enhance women's rights to land, including Rwanda's land policy, which recognizes women's equal rights to inherit, own, and control land. In India, the Hindu Succession Act was amended to give women equal rights to ancestral property. Whereas, in Bangladesh, the government is implementing a policy that allows widows and unmarried daughters to inherit land. Moreover, community-based approaches to land policy decisions have been adopted in several countries, such as Tanzania, where land committees comprising men and women are responsible for managing land disputes and making decisions on land use. However, much remains to be done to ensure gender-responsive land policies in Asia and Africa. Therefore, this session will focus on the future implications and possible research directions for the development and implementation of policies that foster sustainable development and gender equality on the continents. This session's objective is also to fill in knowledge gaps by highlighting recent issues on gender and land policy. This session invites papers from academics and non-academics working in these thematic and regional areas. Tags: Communities, Rural And Urban
Organizers: Sunday Idowu OGUNJIMI, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria, James Mbaziira, Makerere University, Uganda, Sumoni Mukherjee, Changescape consulting, New Delhi, India, Hannah Benedicta Taylor-Abdulai, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Chair: Sunday Idowu OGUNJIMI, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Presentations
Olufunke Olatunji, Federal University Oye Ekiti Nigeria
Agriculture is a crucial sector for human survival, and womens contribution to it is undeniable. Women play a crucial role in agriculture, both in small and big farms, producing food for their households, communities, and beyond. Rural women in particular are the strategic actor for reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty as they play a central role in household food security, dietary diversity, and children’s health. When considering household well-being, it is important to consider who manages household and family resources, including land as women are much more likely than men to spend income from these resources on their children’s nutritional and educational needs. However, despite their significant contribution, women often face cultural, social, and economic barriers that limit their productivity and ability to fully participate in agricultural development, including unequal access to resources, cultural and traditional barriers, and gender-based violence. Women across the developing world are consistently less likely to own land, have fewer rights to land, and the land they do own or have access to is of lower quality in comparison to men. Improving women’s access to and control over economic resources has a positive effect on a range of development goals, including poverty reduction and economic growth. The study area for this research is Southwest, Nigeria. This research will explore the issues as regards to land access that potentially have great significant effects on the health and well-being of women in patriarchal societies. The broad objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of barriers to womens access to land in patriarchal societies in their physical, mental and social health. The specific objectives are to examine the level at which women’s in patriarchal societies have access to land, evaluate the specific barriers to land access that affects women in patriarchal societies and investigate the barriers effects on womens physical, mental, and social health. Simple random sampling technique will be used for selection purpose, while One hundred and twenty respondents will be considered for the study. Well structured questionnaires will be used for data collection. The results will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. This study will solve the likely problems facing rural women in assessing land for agricultural production and also provide possible solution to the effects of land assess on their physical, mental and social health and well being. The result will be used by policy makers for designing and implementing of projects and policies to secure women’s land and property rights. Agriculture is a crucial sector for human survival, and womens contribution to it is undeniable. Women play a crucial role in agriculture, both in small and big farms, producing food for their households, communities, and beyond. Rural women in particular are the strategic actor for reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty as they play a central role in household food security, dietary diversity, and children’s health. When considering household well-being, it is important to consider who manages household and family resources, including land as women are much more likely than men to spend income from these resources on their children’s nutritional and educational needs. However, despite their significant contribution, women often face cultural, social, and economic barriers that limit their productivity and ability to fully participate in agricultural development, including unequal access to resources, cultural and traditional barriers, and gender-based violence. Women across the developing world are consistently less likely to own land, have fewer rights to land, and the land they do own or have access to is of lower quality in comparison to men. Improving women’s access to and control over economic resources has a positive effect on a range of development goals, including poverty reduction and economic growth. The study area for this research is Southwest, Nigeria. This research will explore the issues as regards to land access that potentially have great significant effects on the health and well-being of women in patriarchal societies. The broad objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of barriers to womens access to land in patriarchal societies in their physical, mental and social health. The specific objectives are to examine the level at which women’s in patriarchal societies have access to land, evaluate the specific barriers to land access that affects women in patriarchal societies and investigate the barriers effects on womens physical, mental, and social health. Simple random sampling technique will be used for selection purpose, while One hundred and twenty respondents will be considered for the study. Well structured questionnaires will be used for data collection. The results will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. This study will solve the likely problems facing rural women in assessing land for agricultural production and also provide possible solution to the effects of land assess on their physical, mental and social health and well being. The result will be used by policy makers for designing and implementing of projects and policies to secure women’s land and property rights.
Non-presenting authors: Abimbola Fanu, Federal University Oye Ekiti Nigeria; Sunday Ogunjimi, Federal University Oye Ekiti Nigeria; Abiodun Ajala, Federal University Oye Ekiti Nigeria; Barizomdu Pii, Federal Polytechnic Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
Fanu Abimbola, Federal university Oye Ekiti, Nigeria
The pattern of land ownership in African and in southwest Nigeria in particular is either by inheritance or by purchase but of all these methods of land ownership, none has been favourably disposed to allowing women access to the land of their own (George et al . 2014). Chigbu et al., (2019) opined that patriarchal land system is still prevalent in southwest Nigeria and communal lands are still being allocated by community leaders. Under the traditional system, women typically have limited access to land, as land is often inherited through the male line and is controlled by the male family members. Women are often excluded from decision-making about land and are dependent on men for access to land this can lead to inequality, poverty, and food insecurity for women and their families (Aluko and Amidu, 2006). In some parts of Nigeria, customary and formal tenure systems generally deprive women of the right to the use of land. Whitehead and Tsikata (2003), stated that women are reduced to temporary land users who only embrace secondary land rights. As such, they are forced to derive livelihood by using land in accordance with the customary system of use, which is male-controlled and biased (Adedipe et al., 1997). The gender effects of land possession are complex and subject to modification over time (Quisumbing et al. , 2015). Despite the integral roles women play in food production, processing and marketing, women’s right to the occupation of land remains marginalized in the developing economies. It therefore, makes it tough for them to secure credit facilities from formal financial institutions that involve land as collateral for a loan (George et al., 2014). Moreover, it reduces the supportive roles that they perform in their individual families (Adeyemo et al ., 2015). Meinzen-Dick et al ., (2019) discussed the evidence on how women’s land rights are related to poverty reduction, drawing on a conceptual framework developed through the Gender, Agriculture and Assets Project. Budlender and Alma (2011) provided evidences from numerous tasks on the positive impacts of women’s tenure security. In recent years, the significance of women’s access to land has been increasingly acknowledged. Women’s land rights and tenure safety are increasingly seen as significant, for reasons of gender equity, to encourage economic progress and development, and to reduce poverty. Among the millennium goals are the gender base equality issues and this makes this research timely. This paper seeks to discuss the impact of traditional land tenure systems on women’s access to land in rural southwest, Nigeria. The specific objectives are to: identify the traditional land tenure systems existing in the study area, identify the barriers to women’s access to land, assess the impact of land access on women’s income and livelihood, examine the impact of land access on women’s food security and nutrition and lastly identify policy and programmatic interventions that can improve women’s access to land. The data for this study will be collected using interview schedule and purposive sampling will be used to select these rural women. This will lead to increase in productivity, competitive edge will increase and this will at the end translate to increase and improvement in agricultural outputs and thereby contributing to the gross domestic product of the country. The pattern of land ownership in African and in southwest Nigeria in particular is either by inheritance or by purchase but of all these methods of land ownership, none has been favourably disposed to allowing women access to the land of their own (George et al . 2014). Chigbu et al., (2019) opined that patriarchal land system is still prevalent in southwest Nigeria and communal lands are still being allocated by community leaders. Under the traditional system, women typically have limited access to land, as land is often inherited through the male line and is controlled by the male family members. Women are often excluded from decision-making about land and are dependent on men for access to land this can lead to inequality, poverty, and food insecurity for women and their families (Aluko and Amidu, 2006). In some parts of Nigeria, customary and formal tenure systems generally deprive women of the right to the use of land. Whitehead and Tsikata (2003), stated that women are reduced to temporary land users who only embrace secondary land rights. As such, they are forced to derive livelihood by using land in accordance with the customary system of use, which is male-controlled and biased (Adedipe et al., 1997). The gender effects of land possession are complex and subject to modification over time (Quisumbing et al. , 2015). Despite the integral roles women play in food production, processing and marketing, women’s right to the occupation of land remains marginalized in the developing economies. It therefore, makes it tough for them to secure credit facilities from formal financial institutions that involve land as collateral for a loan (George et al., 2014). Moreover, it reduces the supportive roles that they perform in their individual families (Adeyemo et al ., 2015). Meinzen-Dick et al ., (2019) discussed the evidence on how women’s land rights are related to poverty reduction, drawing on a conceptual framework developed through the Gender, Agriculture and Assets Project. Budlender and Alma (2011) provided evidences from numerous tasks on the positive impacts of women’s tenure security. In recent years, the significance of women’s access to land has been increasingly acknowledged. Women’s land rights and tenure safety are increasingly seen as significant, for reasons of gender equity, to encourage economic progress and development, and to reduce poverty. Among the millennium goals are the gender base equality issues and this makes this research timely. This paper seeks to discuss the impact of traditional land tenure systems on women’s access to land in rural southwest, Nigeria. The specific objectives are to: identify the traditional land tenure systems existing in the study area, identify the barriers to women’s access to land, assess the impact of land access on women’s income and livelihood, examine the impact of land access on women’s food security and nutrition and lastly identify policy and programmatic interventions that can improve women’s access to land. The data for this study will be collected using interview schedule and purposive sampling will be used to select these rural women. This will lead to increase in productivity, competitive edge will increase and this will at the end translate to increase and improvement in agricultural outputs and thereby contributing to the gross domestic product of the country.
Non-presenting author: Olatunji Olufunke Comfort, Federal university Oye Ekiti, Nigeria
Sunday Idowu OGUNJIMI, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria
Gender equality is the fair treatment of women and men according to their respective needs. Gender-equitable land policies in different African countries move beyond the current quota system and achieve meaningful, sustainable agricultural development. The study evaluated the existing land policies in different African countries, assessed the impact of unequal access to land on womens ability to contribute to their countrys economic growth and development, and identified the opportunities for reform in order to promote gender-equitable land ownership. Based on an extensive review of the current literature on numerous local and international case studies, policymakers in African countries such as Nigeria, Somalia, Rwanda, and Tanzania, among others, have implemented a number of gender-based land policies, including quotas designed to increase womens access to land. However, unequal access to land ownership and usage is a major barrier to achieving sustainable agricultural development in different African countries. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of existing research on gender-equitable land policies in different African countries and also investigates the challenges faced in implementing such policies. Furthermore, the paper recommends a number of policies for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women to facilitate the implementation of gender-equitable land policies in African countries. It also provides insights into potential strategies for improving access to land through awareness campaigns on improved legal safeguards and increased land registration. Conclusively, the paper argued for a commitment to gender-equitable land policies as a means of promoting sustainable agricultural development in different African countries.
Non-presenting authors: Mohamed Hassan Abdirahman, Kamil Institution University, Somalia; Abiodun Ajala, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria