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Multidimensionality of Land Ownership among Men and Women in Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Hasanbasri,Ardina Roosiany
  • Kilic,Talip
  • Koolwal,Gayatri B.
  • Moylan,Heather G.

Abstract

Across Sub-Saharan African countries with customary tenure systems and low levels of documentedland ownership, there are limited nationally representative insights on men and women landowners’ rights over land.Variations in institutions and norms governing land ownership further complicate cross-country comparisons.Using machine learning techniques and nationally representative, intrahousehold survey data elicited inprivate from men and women on their ownership of assets, this paper creates unique profiles of landowners inEthiopia, Malawi, and Tanzania, anchored in a range of constructs related to self-reported rights and control overland parcels. The analysis reveals a high degree of cross-country consistency in the new insights. Landowners,particularly women, often do not have full rights and decision-making power over land. Multiple correspondenceanalysis demonstrates that transfer rights (rights to bequeath, sell, rent out, and use as collateral) contributethe most to the variation in the composition of the constructs related to rights and control over land.Hierarchical clustering shows that landowners can effectively be clustered into three categories: (1) ownerswith mostly exclusive transfer rights, (2) owners with mostly joint transfer rights, and (3) owners with no/limitedtransfer rights. Owners with transfer rights tend to have all other rights and measures of control. Women areoverrepresented in the cluster of landowners with no/limited transfer rights, and in moving from the cluster with mostlyjoint transfer rights to the one with mostly exclusive transfer rights, the increase in the share of individualsnot needing permission to exercise any right is considerably greater among women than men.

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  • Hasanbasri,Ardina Roosiany & Kilic,Talip & Koolwal,Gayatri B. & Moylan,Heather G., 2022. "Multidimensionality of Land Ownership among Men and Women in Sub-Saharan Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9900, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9900
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    Keywords

    Agricultural Economics; Gender and Development; Inequality; Food Security; Labor & Employment Law;
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