WOMEN AND SECURE PROPERTY RIGHTS: A PRIMER ON EFFECTIVE REFORM

IMPROVING WOMEN’S ACCESS TO LAND AND PROPERTY Around the world, women lack secure property rights – formal or informal The lack of property rights has severe, negative consequences for their health and wellbeing Secure, legal access to property leads to economic, social, and political empowerment Laws and policies alone are not enough

FORMAL LEGAL AND POLICY REFORM In many countries, a primary impediment to property rights is the law itself, where laws do not recognize rights of women or treat their rights as secondary to the rights of men Legal reform can: Make rights formal where they have always been informal, providing a foundation for change Serve as an impetus for social change at the community level While important, legal change is not sufficient on its own

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS OF RIGHTS Education and awareness of rights and how to access those rights is key Lack of awareness is often single biggest obstacle to implementation of new laws Women don’t know their rights and/or Feel cultural or social pressure not to assert them Education efforts must include everyone in the community, not just women

IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT Even the best legal or policy reform won’t be effective if not enforced Legal reforms work best when accompanied by aggressive and comprehensive strategies to implement and enforce the changes

ACCESS TO THE LEGAL SYSTEM Even if women understand their rights and the government is willing to enforce the law, women still have to access the legal system and navigate the legal process Numerous barriers include finding basic legal assistance or representation and the high cost of hiring lawyer, and the actual and opportunity costs of traveling to a lawyer’s office or judicial body Paralegal programs, community trained volunteers, and legal aid clinics can all be helpful in giving women access to the legal system

HOLISTIC APPROACH Holistic approach to legal reform includes education and awareness, implementation and enforcement, and access to the legal system Holistic approach to improving property rights means acknowledging the deep linkages to many other issues impacting women