Tanzanian women to have equal land rights

Women in Tanzania are set to have equal land rights to men, under the country’s proposed new constitution.

Until now, land rights for the nation’s women have been swayed by marriage and inheritance laws. Although the current Land Act and Village Land Act endorse equal rights regarding land use and ownership for men and women, customary practice means that women must often access land through their fathers, brothers, or husbands.

Lisa Cameron discusses how women in developing countries are often more socially and economically vulnerable than men. She says that women can only be better protected if policymakers directly address the specific risks that women are faced with.

Research shows that women in Africa undertake almost half of all agricultural labor. Tenuous legal rights to land not only leave women vulnerable to labor shocks, but are also likely to decrease labor incentives and overall productivity.

Other studies show that women are usually assigned to smaller and less productive plots than men, further impacting upon economic security. It is hoped that the new constitution will also help to improve resources available to women, to help boost overall productivity.

Indeed, Sher Verick finds that female labor force participation in developing countries largely relies on the quality of employment available to women. He also notes that female employment rates would increase by enhancing women’s educational attainment.

Today marks the United Nations' International Day of Rural Women, a time when improvements to women's rights in developing countries are receiving a particular focus.

Read more here.

Related articles:
Social protection programs for women in developing countries, by Lisa Cameron
Female labor force participation in developing countries, by Sher Verick
Informal employment in emerging and transition economies, by Fabián Slonimczyk