| Women’s Right to Land |
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Women’s Right to Land and Property is a very crucial factor in the economic well being, social status and empowerment of any country. Land is a prime source of service, a vital agricultural contributor and a chief determinant of cultivator’s access to productive services and resources. Women’s access to land as well as other important resources as such water, fish, forest product and fuel wood is very vital for income and food security. Since, land is becoming scarcer due to increasing population the access to it has become difficult for both women and men. Numerous cities site an example of half the population residing in slums and other such informal settlements minus the basic services, and human rights of land and adequate housing. Very high proportion of women resides in such settlements.
Need for Women’s Right to Land and Property:
Though women own a mere 2% of land, UN Economic and Social Council Commission states, land rights inequity is violation of human rights and hence, requests to revise and design the law in order to ensure women granted with equal right of owning property and land. Likewise, the rule for eliminating all kinds of discrimination against women’s specifies that, state authorities need to take appropriate steps in eliminating any discrimination against women, especially in rural places. It will also safeguard equal and just treatment in agriculture land. The steps carried by government to provide equal rights to both the genders, in terms of land and property are highly inconsistent. It is identified that in South Asia and Africa women are especially denied from accessing human rights to control, own and inherit property and land. Majority of population amongst women do not pose the ability to buy land and normally access the land through male relatives. The estimation carried out globally states that, approximately 41% women leaded families survive below the poverty line and, nearly 1/3rd of entire world’s women are homeless or residing in inadequate settlements.
Conclusion:
Women’s Right to Land and Property are included in the framework of human rights and are acknowledged by several international human rights forums. Numerous optimistic progressions are witnessed in law and the reforms of policies, in several countries with regards to women’s rights. More holistic approach is required in reforming the policies and laws for the inheritance and also, the sharing of marital property of land. The implementation of women’s right to land and property is still a debatable issue and requires united efforts from the society to make it a success phenomenon.
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