Land
Access and rights to land are vital to agricultural livelihoods and food security. Moreover, land rights underpin access to other natural resources that are critical economic assets. When women have secure rights and the ability to participate in decisions related to land, research has shown that land resources are more likely to be used to improve household wellbeing, including improved food consumption and nutrition.
However, women account for only 11.5 percent of landholders in conflict-affected countries. Gender inequality in tenure systems remains embedded in social and cultural norms, restricting women’s rights and resulting in disproportionate impacts on women. Lack of access to land can leave women vulnerable to physical and livelihood risks, and conflict can exacerbate this vulnerability through displacement, weakened authorities, disrupted social structures, and overall reduced availability of land. Furthermore, as land titles are often prerequisites to obtain credit, agricultural inputs, and other support, women are often denied access to these services which are vital for post-conflict recovery.
Issues of land access and rights are increasingly incorporated into peace agreements. However, there remain significant cultural and political barriers to land security for women, as even countries with formal recognition of women’s equal land rights struggle to guarantee and enforce these rights in practice. Efforts to provide legal and mediation services, prioritize gender-sensitive land reform, and assess women’s roles in natural resource sectors have made progress to empower women to enforce their land rights and meaningfully participate in land management decisions.
Key Resources
Life Can Change: Securing Housing, Land and Property Rights for Displaced Women
In 2011 NRC established a programme of work focused on strengthening displaced women rights to housing, land and property (HLP). This was in response to…Land and Conflict: Toolkit and Guidance for Preventing and Managing Land and Natural Resource Conflict
Conflict arises when two or more groups believe their interests are incompatible. Conflict is not in itself a negative phenomenon. Non-violent conflict can be an…Realizing Women’s Right to Land and Other Productive Resources
The purpose of this publication is to provide detailed guidance for lawmakers and policymakers, as well as civil society organizations and other stakeholders, to support…FAO Gender and Land Rights Database
Land is a crucial resource for poverty reduction, food security and rural development. However, men and women do not always enjoy the same rights to…Women and Land in the Muslim World
Access to land is a key element that allows women and men to fully play their role in building peaceful, stable and prosperous societies and…
Resources
Securing Women’s Land Rights: A Pathway to Food Security
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When scrolling through the UN Women and Orange Foundation-supported ”Buy from Women digital platform, the faces of four Liberian women farmers appear. Fifty-six-year-old Gertrude Kpoleh,…
Mexico: Women Who Nourish the Earth: Yuridia Hernández and the Feminine Strength in Sustainable Agriculture
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This paper offers new insights into gender norms, roles, participation, relations, and benefits derived by women and men engaged in the aquaculture sector in Ogun…
Liberia: Men, Tradition Denying Women’s Rights to Land
International
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Land, Law, and Legacy: Reconciling Gender Equality with Tradition in Northern Uganda
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Peacebuilding Perspectives and Herder-Farmer Conflicts in Africa (chapter in "Herder-Farmer Conflicts in Africa")
Library
This chapter proposes a peacebuilding approach to the management of herder-farmer conflicts in Africa. Specifically, the chapter reflects on the contending perspectives on peacebuilding, notably…
How to Do Note: Designing Gender Transformative Approaches in the Context of Women’s Land and Resource Rights
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Gender transformative approaches (GTAs) aim to challenge and change the underlying social norms, power dynamics,and systemic barriers perpetuating inequality between women and men. Unlike mainstream…
Liberia: Access to Land Limits Women's Participation in Agriculture
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Women's participation in agriculture is being severely hindered by limited access to land, according to Agnes Fred, Program Coordinator at Women in Agriculture and Sustainable…
Kyrgyzstan: FAO Supports Women's Initiative in Batken Region to Cultivate Rose Hips on Degraded Land
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Nestled in the picturesque slopes of the Pamir-Alay mountains, Batken Region in southwestern Kyrgyzstan faces significant challenges due to its harsh continental climate, arid conditions,…
Kenya: Women Step Up Environmental Conservation Efforts in Suba South
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A group of women in Suba South Constituency has embarked on raising tree seedlings for planting this rainy season. Dubbed the Sindo Tree Nursery Women Project,…
Zimbabwe: How More Inclusive Maize Breeding Can Yield Better Outcomes for Women Farmers in Zimbabwe
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In Zimbabwe, CGIAR, through CIMMYT, runs a maize breeding program to strengthen food security and livelihoods in a country where maize is a staple crop. The program spans diverse testing plots – managed exclusively…
Women’s Land Rights: The Missing Key to Climate Action
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Global: Women and Girls are at the Heart of Fostering Better Agrifood Systems for All
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Kenya: The Silent Struggle: Women in Agriculture Bearing the Weight of Every Task
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Agriculture is a critical lifeline for many rural communities in Kenya. In Makueni County, Kenya, women farmers bear the majority of workload on the farm:…
Kiambu Women Redefining Roles in Coffee Sector
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Women in Kiambu are transforming Kenya’s coffee industry through empowerment and innovation, challenging traditional barriers and redefining their role in the sector. Coffee, Kenya’s second-largest agricultural…
Kenya: Kiambu Women Redefining Roles in Coffee Sector
International
Women in Kiambu are transforming Kenya’s coffee industry through empowerment and innovation, challenging traditional barriers and redefining their role in the sector. Coffee, Kenya’s second-largest agricultural…
Integrating Gender and Intersectionality in Post-Harvest Loss Research Helps Reduce Negative Economic and Social Impacts
Library
Currently post-harvest losses in food systems average about 25 percent globally, reducing food availability and increasing food insecurity.Women’s participation in post-harvest processing is almost 50…
Tanzania: How Ivuna Women Farmers are Transforming Their Lives through Seed Production
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Paraguay: Paraguay’s Female Farmers Break Barriers Through Digital Initiative
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Indonesia: Indonesian Mother of Six Aims to Keep Papuan Tradition Alive by Saving Mangroves in Women-only Forest
International
Papua province’s Youtefa Bay, known for its azure waters and lush mangrove forests, has seen infrastructure development that has helped improve locals’ lives and the…
Indonesian Mother of Six Aims to Keep Papuan Tradition Alive by Saving Mangroves in Women-only Forest
News
Papua province’s Youtefa Bay, known for its azure waters and lush mangrove forests, has seen infrastructure development that has helped improve locals’ lives and the…
Restitution of Lands and Territories to Victims of Violent Dispossession and Displacement in Colombia
Blog
Forced displacement in Colombia has a differentiated and accentuated impact on women, the ethnic and peasant population, as well as children and adolescents. Frequently, this…