Women's Land Tenure Framework for Analysis: Land Rights

Who is This Framework Designed to Help?

This frameworks is designed to assist anyone who is interested in understanding the complex issues associated with women’s land rights--officials, grassroots organizations, international technical advisers, policymakers, development practitioners, women’s rights advocates, land rights advocates, people who are developing programs to assist women farmers, people who are concerned with food security, etc.

Examples of How This Framework Can Be Used

Example 1: I work at a large international aid agency, and I have designed an agricultural extension program.

No women attend the training sessions on crop management, although it is clear to me that women provide much

of the agricultural labor. I want to know why women do not attend the sessions and how to get some women

involved.

You will want to use this framework to consider what role women play in agricultural production: how they see

their role and how their husband sees their role. You will want to review both the legal and customary sections

to understand whether women have legal or social rights to the land they farm and whether they are able to

makes decisions or have control over decisions on crop management or spending resources if they are married

or if they are head of their household. You will want to know who “owns” the land and how secure that right

is.

Example 2: I am an academic in China and I am asked to help write regulations for land registration. I want to

know how to make sure women’s names are documented.

You will want to review this framework and pay special attention to the legal section on individual and

household rights to land. You may also want to look at the research guide to see whether there are readily

available resources for you to find other countries’ regulations.

Download the pdf to read the full document.