Women’s Land and Property Rights and the Post-2015 Development Agenda

The paper provided detailed information on the current state of women’s rights to access, use of, and control over land and other resources. It points out that just as “discrimination against women and girls impairs progress in all other areas of development,” gender inequality in secure rights to land and property impedes progress in achieving inclusive economic and social development, environmental sustainability, and peace and security – dimensions the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda identified as requiring progress to build an equitable, secure, and sustainable world.

Securing women’s land and property rights is a necessary strategy for ensuring gender inequality and advancing women’s empowerment worldwide. Research from a range of sources including the World Bank, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the OECD Development Centre, civil society organizations, and academic institutions also point to another key finding: strengthening land and property rights for women goes hand in hand with the realization of many other development objectives related to poverty alleviation, food security, and environmental sustainability. In its recommendations, this paper advocates for the inclusion of targets specifically related to women’s land and property rights in the post-2015 development agenda. 

Read the complete paper here.