Women’s land rights

The social and economic development of every society goes hand in hand with the social and economic development of women and the realization of their human rights. Reducing the gender gap and increasing women’s empowerment through improved access to housing, land and property is one of the land governance priorities in the region.

Gender-based inequalities find their roots in patriarchal cultural norms often disguised as religious principles. Such norms and practices impact many dimensions of women’s life, including participation in the labour force, access to credit, and ownership or access to housing, land, and properties.

The Arab region has the highest gender gap[1] [OT1] globally (approximately 40 percent), with Iraq, Yemen and Saudi Arabia listed among the least performing countries[2]. At the current pace, it will take about 142 years to close this gap[3] and even more to reach gender equality in property and inheritance laws which have not improved in the last fifty years [4].

There is no consolidated data on women’s ownership or access to land and housing in the region. However, estimates converge to a single digit figure. Women’s share among agricultural holders in the region is less than 7 per cent[5], despite women’s major contribution in farming. Further, the total areas held by women are significantly smaller than the ones held by men, with women only holding 1 to 3 percent of the land surface[6].

Overall, women are less likely than men to have a legal housing, land, and property rights documents, or to have their name included in the same which negatively impact their land tenure security, especially at times of divorce[7]. Displaced and migrant women and those living in conflict-affected countries face additional compounded challenges in accessing and enjoying land and property rights.

The approach

To increase women’s access to housing land and property rights in the Arab region, the Arab Land Initiative recommends to:

Advocate and raise awareness on women’s housing, land and property rightsProtect women’s land rights at the time of marriageProtect women’s inheritance rightsStrengthen women’s rights of use to land and housingProvide practical support for women and women groupsIncrease women’s access to justice and dispute-resolution mechanismsImprove land administrationReform constitutions, policies and lawsLearn to work in contexts with multiple legal systemsEmpower and increase women’s participation in land-related processesPlace additional focus on women in displacement and crises-affected contextsPromote research, capacity development, and knowledge exchanges on women and land.