Women’s Land Rights and Gender Transformative Practices

June 29, 2023 | 15:00 h - 16:30 h

Hybrid Panel Discussion with members of the Feminist Land Platform and the ZEF Gender Group.

Venue:

ZEF Conference Room and via ZOOM webinar 

Please use the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83021922506?pwd=L3ZKSlFHMzVQR1dheXZuWjZnb0R2UT09 (Pin: 918119)

Participants joining via Zoom will be offered a translation of the discussion in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

Background:

Land is the most valuable of natural resource asset on which rural livelihoods depend. Although women’s ownership of land has positive effects on their bargaining power and role in household decisions, globally they own less and lower-value land than men. Empirical evidence on the positive effects of women’s land rights on food security, consumption and empowerment is wanting. However, there is a broad agreement among researchers that ownership, access and control of land are positively associated with these outcomes. Moreover, some research also finds a negative association between women’s precarious land rights and domestic violence.

Gaps in research on the impact of women’s land rights on development outcomes and on their own well-being include the lack of sex-disaggregated data on, for example, ownership, control and access, all of which are likely to entail different outcome. There is also the need for a deeper understanding of how social norms and legal structures influence women’s access to and control of land in specific contexts while considering the diversity of their socio-economic positions. Research methodologies and systematic analysis in this area are still dispersed.

The Feminist Land Platform (FLP) is a prominent global platform that seeks to challenge inequalities related to women’s land rights, highlight women’s leadership and feminist perspectives in all land struggles, and act on other gender justice issues. Its members, who are feminist activists and non-governmental allies working at the grass-root level in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, bring together critical issues around women’s land tenure.

Against this backdrop, the ZEF Gender Group and the FLP are jointly organizing a panel discussion on Land Rights with a focus on Women’s Land Rights and Gender Justice. Three members of the FLP from Latin America, South Asia and Africa will be panelists in the event.

Opening remarks: 

Patricia Chaves (Coordinator Feminist Land Platform (FLP))

Panelists:

Marta Esber, Fundación Plurales, Argentina (FLP)

Farida Akhter, UBINIG, Bangladesh (FLP)

Amina Amharech, AZUL, Morocco (FLP)

Tina Beuchelt (ZEF senior researcher and ZEF Gender Group)

Dennis Avilès Irahola (ZEF senior researcher and ZEF Gender Group)

Moderator:

Sundus Saleemi (ZEF senior researcher and ZEF Gender Group)

Closing remarks: 

Eva Youkhana (ZEF Acting Director and ZEF Gender Group) 

Please join us to hear the experiences of researchers and activists from Asia, Africa and Latin America on movements for women’s land rights, their challenges and the way forward!