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Is Women’s Ownership of Land a Panacea in Developing Countries? Evidence from Land-Owning Farm Households in Malawi

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  • Sumon Kumar Bhaumik
  • Ralitza Dimova
  • Ira N. Gang

Abstract

Our analysis of a rich representative household survey for Malawi, where patrilineal and matrilineal institutions coexist, suggests that: in matrilineal societies the likelihood of high-value crop cultivation by a household increases with the extent of land owned by males, while the income generated from high-value crop production decreases with the amount of land owned by females; and the cultivation of high-value crops increases household welfare. The policy implication is that facilitating female ownership of assets through informal and formal institutions does not, on its own, increase welfare when appropriate complementary resources and institutions are absent.

Suggested Citation

  • Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Ralitza Dimova & Ira N. Gang, 2016. "Is Women’s Ownership of Land a Panacea in Developing Countries? Evidence from Land-Owning Farm Households in Malawi," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(2), pages 242-253, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:52:y:2016:i:2:p:242-253
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2015.1060314
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    Cited by:

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    3. Bhaumik, Sumon K. & Gang, Ira N. & Yun, Myeong-Su, 2017. "Poverty's Deconstruction: Beyond the Visible," IZA Discussion Papers 11160, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Doss, Cheryl R. & Theis, Sophie, 2017. "Women’s land rights as a pathway to poverty reduction: A framework and review of available evidence," IFPRI discussion papers 1663, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Burrone, Sara & Giannelli, Gianna Claudia, 2023. "Do Households Where Women Own Land Fare Better for Food Security? Evidence for Tanzania," IZA Discussion Papers 16382, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Sara Ratna Qanti & Alexandra Peralta & Di Zeng, 2022. "Social norms and perceptions drive women’s participation in agricultural decisions in West Java, Indonesia," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 645-662, June.
    7. Martin Mwale & Dieter von Fintel & Anja Smith, 2022. "School drop out and farm input subsidies: gender and kinship heterogeneity in Malawi," Working Papers 01/2022, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    8. Ebelechukwu Maduekwe & Walter Timo de Vries & Gertrud Buchenrieder, 2020. "Identifying Human Recognition Deprived Women: Evidence from Malawi and Peru," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(8), pages 1594-1614, July.
    9. Rutakumwa, Rwamahe & Pain, Adam & Bukenya, Dominic & Tumwekwase, Grace & Ssembajja, Fatuma & Seeley, Janet, 2017. "Gender, land and responses to health and environmental shocks in rural South Western Uganda," Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security (Agri-Gender), Africa Centre for Gender, Social Research and Impact Assessment, vol. 2(2), April.
    10. Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Quisumbing, Agnes & Doss, Cheryl & Theis, Sophie, 2019. "Women's land rights as a pathway to poverty reduction: Framework and review of available evidence," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 72-82.
    11. Amadu, Festus O. & McNamara, Paul E. & Miller, Daniel C., 2020. "Understanding the adoption of climate-smart agriculture: A farm-level typology with empirical evidence from southern Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • O2 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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