Does Women’s Land Ownership Promote Their Empowerment? Empirical Evidence from Nepal

(She/Her)

Assistant Professor

Stetson University

An Economist with research interests in Gender, Agriculture, & Development
Nepalese

About

An empirical examination of the role of women’s land ownership, either alone or jointly, as a means of improving their intra-household bargaining power in the areas of own healthcare, major household purchases, and visiting family or relatives

The purpose was to empirically investigate the role of land ownership as a means of improving Nepali women’s intra-household bargaining power.

The research is unique in its utilisation of endogeneity correction.

Key Findings

Endogeneity-corrected estimates (using logit and probit models) are significantly higher than their uncorrected counterparts. And whether corrected or uncorrected for endogeneity, the estimated effects of land ownership in 2011 are quantitatively higher than those in 2001.
The increase in empowerment over time is related to a more precise definition of land ownership being formulated and it could be influenced by the 2002 and 2007 amendments affording stronger land ownership rights to women.

How to use

Enhance land ownership of females by subsidising land titling for women.
Encouraging joint titling through marriage.
Similar approaches can be taken for other assets, for example, home ownership.
In similar context to Nepal, results can be applicable to India and Bangladesh since they have a similar culture and patriarchal practices.

Want to read the full paper? It is available open access

Mishra, & Sam, A. G. (2016). Does Women’s Land Ownership Promote Their Empowerment? Empirical Evidence from Nepal. World Development, 78, 360–371.

About this research

Abdoul Sam

This research was independently conducted and did not receive funding from outside of the university.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals

This research contributes to the following SDGs

About this research

This research was independently conducted and did not receive funding from outside of the university.

This paper was co-authored

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Abdoul Sam

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What it means

The major findings were endogeneity-corrected estimates (using logit and probit models) are significantly higher than their uncorrected counterparts. And whether corrected or uncorrected for endogeneity, the estimated effects of land ownership in 2011 are quantitatively higher than those in 2001. This demonstrates that land ownership plays an important role in combating gender discrimination by enhancing bargaining power of women.

The increase in empowerment over time is related to a more precise definition of land ownership being formulated and it could be influenced by the 2002 and 2007 amendments affording stronger land ownership rights to women.

Empowerment is defined by household decision-making in areas of own healthcare, major household purchases, and visits to family or relatives.

Policy implications are: land ownership can play a significant role in combating gender discrimination by enhancing the bargaining power of women. Administrative power to build at the local level can advance gender equity in land titling and disseminate information on its importance and procedures to local households that can prove useful to women’s empowerment, as often lack of education results in women not claiming their constitutional rights. However, it should be noted that legislative and local administrative reforms alone may not be enough to generate significant gains in women’s empowerment without further institutional changes and changes in cultural attitudes that disfavour women.

Methodology

Research was managed over four stages. These were:

1. Data collection through NDHS survey

2. Constructed primary variables, instrumental variables, and empowerment variables

3. Three estimation phases employ the different models (ordered logit, ordinary logit, and IPW models)

4. Comparison of results

But over the the study time period, our definition of land ownership changed.

Glossary

Land ownership
Having legal rights to agricultural land in Nepali context
Empowerment
Having agency to make household decisions, either alone or jointly
CEM
A non-parametric matching technique

Let your research make a social impact

Arianne Zajac prepared this research following an interview with Dr Khushbu Mishra.