Women's Right to and Control over Rural Land in Ethiopia: The Law and the Practice

International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, June 2014, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 137-165

29 Pages Posted: 25 Jan 2014 Last revised: 30 Jan 2018

See all articles by Husen Tura

Husen Tura

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: 2014

Abstract

This Article critically analyzes the law and the practice of women’s right to and control over rural land in Ethiopia. The study employed doctrinal legal research and empirical quantitative methods to collect and analyse data collected from primary and secondary sources. Tools such as law review and analysis, interviewer-assisted survey questionnaire, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used in the process of data collection. It has been found that the existing laws adequately recognize a woman’s right to equality with respect to access to and control of property (including land) in Ethiopia. However, harmful customary practices and stereotypes against women are still prevalent in the Wolaita community, which hinders an effective implementation of the legal rights of women to possess and control land. It is suggested that legal awareness education and effective legal aid should be made available for women to empower them to claim their property rights in general and a right to rural land use and administration in particular.

Keywords: women’s rights; property control; common property; land law; Ethiopia

Suggested Citation

Tura, Husen Ahmed, Women's Right to and Control over Rural Land in Ethiopia: The Law and the Practice (2014). International Journal of Gender and Women’s Studies, June 2014, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 137-165, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2384542 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2384542

Husen Ahmed Tura (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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