Women, Land and Sustainable Development

Published with partial support from the Moriah Fund. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of ICRW or the Moriah Fund. INTRODUCTION Environmental degradation and natural resource loss are widespread, growing problems throughout the world. Topsoil is being lost at the rate of 24 million tons per year. Arable land is declining by an estimated 5-7 million hectares a year and 6 million hectares of new desert emerge every year (United Nations 1991). Tropical forests have shrunk to half their original size and continue to decline by about 17 million hectares a year (Ryan 1992). Meanwhile, the world's population has grown dramatically-doubling to over 5 billion people in the short space of 40 years. According to some estimates, global population is expected to almost double by the year 2050 (WRI 1994). For planners and policymakers seeking to improve economic and living conditions in developing countries, issues of population growth, development, and environmental degradation have become inextricably linked. There is, in fact, a long-standing and fairly extensive perception among some researchers and policymakers that overpopulation is a major cause of under-development and environmental degradation and that the objectives of economic development and resource protection can best be addressed by limiting women's roles have generally attracted attention for their potential part in fertility reduction rather than in economic growth and development. 1 As both Jacobson (1992) and Sen (1992) have noted, development policymakers have, historically, paid greater attention to women's reproductive than to their productive roles. This emphasis has tended to direct resources for women in developing countries disproportionately into family planning instead of support for women's economic or productive roles or for environmental protection (Jacobson 1992). Policy makers have, historically, paid greater attention to women's reproductive than to their productive roles. It has also deflected attention away from other critical causes of poverty and environmental degradation such as structural inequalities of gender and class, market failures, and inappropriate policies. Neglected, for example, are the important linkages between women's land rights, development, and sustainability. This paper attempts to draw attention to these linkages by documenting women's restricted rights to land. It shows that these restrictions undermine women's productivity and earnings and their incentives and ability to sustain land and other natural resources. It examines the causes of women's limited access to land and, finally, suggests ways to strengthen women's land rights. Among the …