Women and Land in the Muslim World

Women and Land in the Muslim World

Editor

UN-Habitat ;

Descripción

Women’s access to land is crucial to ensure social and economic development and food security; it contributes to the realization of human rights, empowerment and participation of women; it helps to protect women from violence and health hazards, and it enables them to play a bigger role in the stabilization of societies in crisis and conflict. For women, access to land means security, stability, independence and freedom. Unfortunately, socially prescribed gender roles, unequal power dynamics at household and community level, discriminatory family practices, unequal access to justice, institutions and land administration processes, traditional norms and local tenure relationships frequently deny women adequate access to land for farming, housing, or other social and economic purposes. Such challenges are faced by women in the Muslim world as well as in other parts of the world. However, 20 per cent of the world’s population is Muslim and - despite the significant national differences encountered - certain common land-related patterns reflecting customary and religious practices emerge in the Muslim world as elements that shape the way women can access to, use of and control over land. This report looks at global normative work, regional frameworks, and good countrylevel practices, it provides an analysis of the most important aspects to be taken into consideration to successfully secure women’s access to land in the Muslim world and makes a set of evidence-based and context specific recommendations for action. The report builds on key concepts, tools and approaches developed in the past decade by the Global Land Tool Network, such as the continuum of land rights, the fit-for-purpose land administration, the appreciation of the diversity of women, and the engagement with aspects of Islamic land law for the protection of the land rights of women and of the most vulnerable. The ideas and recommendations suggested here are intended to be used by wide range of policymakers, land practitioners, development and humanitarian workers, civil society, religious leaders, women’s organizations, communities and donors.