Empowering Women through Equal Access to Land Ownership

Introduction

In today’s world, women make up nearly half of the farmers in low-income countries, yet less than one in five landowners are women. This disparity in land ownership leaves women excluded from decision-making processes that impact their livelihoods. Additionally, the increasing impact of climate change-induced drought exacerbates the vulnerability of women, particularly in regions already struggling with desertification and degradation of arable land. It is crucial to address this issue and provide women with equal access to and ownership of land.

The Impact of Climate Change on Women

Global warming has led to the intensification of desertification in already arid regions such as parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Unsustainable agricultural practices in these conditions result in soil erosion that outpaces natural restoration processes. This degradation of land has reached alarming levels, with 40% of global land now degraded. Unfortunately, women bear the brunt of these circumstances, as they suffer disproportionately from food scarcity, water scarcity, and forced migration.

The Importance of Land Ownership for Women

Equal access to and ownership of land is not only a matter of gender equality but also crucial for sustainable development. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification recognizes that giving women and girls title to land can increase agricultural productivity, restore land, and build resilience to drought. When women have ownership rights, they can access loans, information, and technology that can help them overcome lean seasons and improve their economic well-being.

The Ripple Effect of Empowering Women

Research has shown that when women farmers have access to their own land, both they and their children benefit. Women farming their own land leads to increased agricultural productivity, which positively impacts children’s earnings and overall well-being. Empowering women through land ownership creates a ripple effect that extends beyond the individual, benefiting entire communities and nations.

The Challenges Faced by Women in Drought-affected Regions

Drought severely affects women’s health and finances in developing countries. As the harvest becomes less fruitful, families face food scarcity, leaving little surplus to sell for income. Women are often burdened with the responsibility of ensuring the family does not go hungry while men must travel further from home in search of work. Additionally, women are tasked with finding water and firewood, adding to their already heavy workload. These challenges result in increased rates of malnutrition and overall hardship for women and their families.

Real Stories: Women Bearing the Brunt of Drought

Florence Lomariwo, a member of a grassroots gender empowerment cooperative in Kenya, highlights the dire impact of drought on women. She describes how women suffer from water scarcity, with many losing their lives due to the lack of access to clean water. Women like Lomariwo have to travel long distances to fetch water, putting their health and safety at risk. Monicah Aluku, another woman from the same community, emphasizes how women’s struggle for water leads to health issues, including unsafe abortions and the spread of diseases like typhoid fever.

Conclusion

Addressing the gender disparity in land ownership and providing women equal access to land is crucial for sustainable development and empowering women in drought-affected regions. By recognizing the importance of women’s rights to land ownership and taking concrete steps to ensure equal access, society can promote economic growth, food security, and overall well-being for all.

Additional Piece: Exploring Solutions for Women’s Land Rights

While the challenges faced by women in drought-affected regions are significant, there are solutions that can empower women and ensure their land rights. Here are some approaches that can be undertaken:

1. Legal Reforms

Governments should enact laws that guarantee women’s equal rights to land ownership. These legal reforms should provide clear mechanisms for women to acquire and retain land titles. It is also crucial to ensure that these laws are enforced effectively and that women are aware of their rights and how to assert them.

2. Gender-Sensitive Land Policies

Land policies should explicitly incorporate a gender perspective and address the specific challenges faced by women. This includes recognizing women’s contributions to agriculture, promoting joint ownership between spouses, and providing mechanisms for resolving land disputes that prioritize women’s interests. Implementing gender-sensitive land policies can help level the playing field and empower women in drought-prone regions.

3. Access to Agricultural Resources and Training

Alongside land ownership, women should have equal access to agricultural resources such as inputs, credit, and extension services. Training programs can also be implemented to equip women with the knowledge and skills needed for sustainable farming practices, climate resilience, and income generation. By providing these resources and support, women can overcome the challenges posed by drought and achieve long-term food security and economic empowerment.

4. Strengthening Women’s Collective Action

Encouraging and supporting women’s collective action can amplify their voices and strengthen their bargaining power. Women’s groups and cooperatives can play a crucial role in advocating for women’s land rights, sharing resources, and implementing sustainable farming practices. By fostering solidarity and collaboration among women, communities can build resilience to drought and promote gender equality.

Summary

Less than one in five landowners in the world are women, despite women making up half of the farmers in low-income countries. This gender disparity in land ownership leaves women excluded from decision-making processes, particularly in regions affected by climate change-induced drought and land degradation. Women bear the brunt of these circumstances, experiencing disproportionate food and water scarcity. Empowering women through equal access to land ownership can increase agricultural productivity, build resilience to drought, and have a ripple effect on children’s well-being and overall community development. Real stories from drought-affected regions highlight the urgent need to address women’s land rights. Additionally, through legal reforms, gender-sensitive land policies, access to agricultural resources and training, and strengthening women’s collective action, we can work towards a more equitable and sustainable future.

Less than one in five Landowners in the world are women, but women make up about half of the farmers in low-income countries. This lack of control over the land they work leaves women out of the decision-making processes that govern their livelihoods. Add to this equation the degradation of arable land due to a global increase in climate change-induced drought, and women are left particularly vulnerable.

Global warming is intensifying desertification of already precariously dry areas, such as parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Unsustainable agricultural practices under these conditions are eroding soil 100 times faster than natural processes can restore it, UN Secretary General António Guterres said at a recent meeting of the UN General Assembly. Forty percent of the land is now degraded globally, he said.

Endemic sexism means that women bear the brunt in these circumstances.

“They suffer disproportionately from lack of food, scarcity of water and forced migration that results from our mistreatment of the land, but they have the least control,” Guterres said.

If allowed equal access to and ownership of land, women and girls “can increase agricultural productivity, restore land and build resilience to drought,” according to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Having title to land allows women to obtain loans and have access to information and technology that would help them recover from lean seasons.

“The data could not be clearer”, saying Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the UNGA. “When women farmers have access to their own land, they farm more and so do their children and their nations. Together, these positive changes in women’s empowerment have a ripple effect on children’s earnings and well-being.”

Developing countries, researchers have found that drought can severely affect women’s health and finances. In a cascading series of disasters, drought leads to a less fruitful harvest, which means less food for the family and little left over to sell surpluses; therefore less money to buy food.

Women generally bear the burden of ensuring that the family does not go hungry while men travel further from home to find work. Adding to the women’s workload is finding water and firewood while malnourished, which causes more misery.

Florence Lomariwo in the western county of Baringo in Kenya said The Guardian that drought has caused male herders to venture farther than normal, leading to clashes. As part of a grassroots gender empowerment cooperative, Lomariwo described the dire conditions at home. “Most of the women are suffering deaths due to lack of water,” she said. Her family’s survival depends on fetching water up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) away, she said.

Another woman, Monicah Aluku, 37, told the newspaper that women “walk so much to get water that they are having abortions. There is no health system. The children drink dirty water and get typhoid fever. We are really suffering.”

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