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Women's land rights: How to improve their social status?
Land rights issues are not only legal and economic, but also related to the life, safety and dignity of every woman. Across the globe, women face numerous challenges that prevent them from achieving equal rights to land ownership. In order to improve the social status of women, ensuring that they have sufficient land rights has become an issue that needs to be urgently addressed.
Many scholars have pointed out that women’s lack of adequate land rights not only affects themselves, but also has a negative impact on their families and communities.
Land ownership can provide women with economic security and give them a more equitable share of household income. According to expert Tim Hanstad, providing adequate land rights benefits women in many ways:
- Women do not have to rely on prostitution, thus reducing the risk of HIV/AIDS transmission.
- Reduce the risk of domestic violence victimization.
- Children’s access to education is improved.
- Easier access to microfinance resources.
However, while women have access to land to work in many areas, traditions and cultural norms still prevent them from inheriting or purchasing land. As a result, women often rely on their husbands, brothers or fathers for support, which puts them at risk for survival. For example, in the event of illness, domestic violence or the tragic death of a family member, women may be left homeless and unable to support themselves or their livelihoods.
Land ownership is an important source of security and income for women, increasing their autonomy and reducing poverty.
In India, although women have the legal right to own land, few do so in practice due to entrenched patriarchal practices. For women, gender discrimination in inheritance laws remains one of the key factors leading to unequal land rights. According to scholar Bina Agarwal, land ownership affects not only social status but also political power, which directly affects gender relations in families and villages.
For example, in West Bengal, when a male family member dies, the family's economic situation often changes drastically because women are unable to inherit their deceased husband's land. According to Agarwal’s analysis, land ownership significantly reduces women’s vulnerability to domestic violence in India because owning property elevates women’s status within the household, increasing their bargaining power and independence.
Under the Hindu Succession Act of 2005, women were legally granted equal inheritance rights, an important development towards equal rights to land.
In Uganda, although the 1995 Constitution emphasizes gender equality, including access to and ownership of land, many women still cannot own land due to the deep influence of customs and cultural practices. Even if they save enough money to buy land, the land is still registered in the name of their husbands, and they are only witnesses.
In addition, the inheritance tradition of land is mainly passed down through male bloodline, which makes it difficult for women to obtain land rights. Women’s Land Link Africa notes that many women have little understanding of their legal land rights, especially in rural areas, where illiteracy and lack of information prevent them from having the necessary legal knowledge and resources. Although the Constitution protects women's land rights, there are still many shortcomings in the implementation of the law, especially when it comes to addressing the needs of widows and divorced women.
Legal barriers for women, including corruption and high legal fees, make it difficult for them to defend their land rights.
To improve women's land rights, experts recommend implementing targeted education programs to make rural women aware of their legal rights. At the same time, community leaders also need to strengthen their awareness of these cultural details. In addition, the law should more comprehensively cover the rights of widows and divorced women so that more comprehensive equality of land rights can be achieved.
Improving women's land rights is not just a legal improvement, it is a social change. How to find a balance between law and culture to ensure that women truly enjoy land rights is a question we should ponder.
