Approaches to strengthen women’s land rights and tenure security through agricultural programming

Publication date: 14-04-2025
Extent: 48 pages

Contributions by: Krista Jacobs, Caitlin Kieran, Tatiana Gumucio and Nayna Jhaveri, Landesa, USA

Chapter synopsis:

This chapter is an introduction for gender and agriculture practitioners on why and how to strengthen smallholder women’s land rights and tenure security through agricultural development programming. Smallholder women farmers have disproportionately limited and insecure land rights and have less access to agricultural inputs and services. Without confidence that in the long-term they can access, manage, and benefit from a given parcel of land, they have less incentive and ability to invest in agricultural productivity and sustainable practices. The chapter draws from twenty development projects, government programs, and private sector examples from the land and agricultural sectors to illustrate practices that agricultural projects and private sector actors can apply to improve smallholder women farmers’ land tenure, agricultural practices, and empowerment. The practices are organized across five technical approaches: awareness-raising, expanding women’s land access and governance roles in customary systems, land certification, combining land and agricultural interventions, and addressing social norms.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2024.0148.21