Land Reform in Southern and Eastern Africa: Key Issues for Strengthening Women's Access to and Rights in Land

Citation:

Walker, Cherryl. 2002. Land Reform in Southern and Eastern Africa: Key Issues for Strengthening Women's Access to and Rights in Land. Harare, Zimbabwe: Sub-regional office for Southern and Eastern Africa, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Author: Cherryl Walker

Keywords: women's land access, socio-economics, culture, HIV/AIDS

Annotation:

This report is the result of a literature review study conducted to explore the area of women's access to land in East and South Africa and to suggest areas for further research. It provides a historical and current overview of land policies, and situates the question of women's access to land within this broader context, considering also its cultural context, its socio-economic implications and its relationship to HIV/ AIDS. The report then discusses the various approaches taken for land reform in these areas, and the implications for women in policies that strengthen customary/communal systems and those that seek to implement a more formal/individualised system. The report presents four case studies from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe and ends with a list of recommendations for future research and policies in the region.

Topics: Gender, Women, Gendered Power Relations, Health, HIV/AIDS, Rights, Land Rights, Property Rights, Women's Rights Regions: Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa Countries: Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Year: 2002