Women's Legal Rights and Gender Gaps in Property Ownership in Developing Countries
Women's property ownership matters for their well-being and agency; it can also advance economic prosperity and promote the human development of future generations. Yet, until recently, lack of data has constrained researchers from gaining a c...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/601621603199863261/Womens-Legal-Rights-and-Gender-Gaps-in-Property-Ownership-in-Developing-Countries http://hdl.handle.net/10986/34652 |
| Summary: | Women's property ownership matters
for their well-being and agency; it can also advance
economic prosperity and promote the human development of
future generations. Yet, until recently, lack of data has
constrained researchers from gaining a comprehensive
overview of gender differences in property ownership in the
developing world. Using Demographic and Health Survey data
from 41 developing countries, this paper seeks to fill this
gap, by investigating the extent of gender gaps in the
incidence of property ownership (land and housing) and the
factors associated with these gaps, focusing on the role of
legal systems. The study finds that there is substantial
variation in gender gaps across countries, but in almost all
countries men are more likely to own property than women.
Within countries, gender gaps are most pronounced for groups
that are already disadvantaged, that is, the rural
population and the poorest quintile. The disadvantage in
property ownership experienced by women reflects a variety
of factors, including discriminatory norms and laws on
inheritance, property ownership, marital regimes, and
protection from workplace discrimination. Countries with
more gender egalitarian legal regimes generally have higher
levels of property ownership by women, especially housing.
These results suggest that reforms to establish a more
gender-equitable legislative framework could be an important
mechanism to increase women's property ownership. |
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