Gender and Property Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa : A Review of Constraints and Effective Interventions
Strengthening women's ownership, control, and use of land, livestock, and savings assets matters for poverty and shared prosperity, as unequal property rights can lead to intrahousehold inequality in wealth; allocative inefficiencies, which ar...
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2017
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/320181511273907749/Gender-and-property-rights-in-Sub-Saharan-Africa-a-review-of-constraints-and-effective-interventions http://hdl.handle.net/10986/28911 |
| Summary: | Strengthening women's ownership,
control, and use of land, livestock, and savings assets
matters for poverty and shared prosperity, as unequal
property rights can lead to intrahousehold inequality in
wealth; allocative inefficiencies, which are costly in lost
economic output and productivity growth; and women's
control over household resources and spending decisions,
with welfare implications for this generation and the next.
Yet, there is ample evidence to show that the distribution
and control of these key assets are skewed toward men across
Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper examines the underlying
constraints that potentially give rise to these
inequalities, assesses the impact evaluation evidence on how
to narrow existing gaps and boost welfare, and outlines a
set of priority research and policy questions. On land, the
review uncovers promising evidence on joint land titling and
notes the need for work from urban settings and
complementary interventions that address multiple market
failures. On savings, those products with an element of
illiquidity and a soft commitment show promise for women in
experimental settings. On livestock, the review points to a
striking dearth of evidence on the causal impact of
livestock transfer programs -- aside from bundled ultra-poor
programs and nutrition interventions. |
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