Rural Women Land Rights in Africa: Comparative Analysis of Ethiopia with Selected African Countries
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Date
2015-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study conducted with the aim of showing status of rural women land right in Africa in general with special focus in Ethiopia. It addressed the case of Ethiopian rural women by taking the case of rural women in Mojana Wodera Woreda, Amhara Regional National State. Thus it posed four basic research questions፡ how do current Ethiopian land laws positively or negatively affect rural women‟s land rights? What land rights do rural women enjoy in Ethiopia compared with those enjoyed by rural women in Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda and Mozambique? What are the challenges faced by rural women within the remit of their land rights? What is the role of customary land laws and the interplay with modern/statutory land laws? In order to answer these questions, data was collected from oral and written sources. The analysis of these data show rural women in Ethiopia have enjoyed legal equality regarding their land rights but there exist implementation gaps. In practice rural women are not benefiting at most pertaining to societal and institutional failures. It is also true for other African fellows. African women share a marginalized and secondary land rights. There are undeniable positive way outs like land registration and titling which have brought reforms in rural women status with some unwanted drawbacks. Therefore, the study recommended abolition of illiteracy, community awareness raising, promotion and enforcement of women land right and strengthening government task forces
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African women