Land administration, gender equality and development cooperation. Lessons learned and challenges ahead

December 2013
Rachel Spichiger, Rikke Brandt Broegaard, Rasmus Hundsbaek Pedersen and Helle Munk Ravnborg (DIIS)

Examines the role of development cooperation in land reforms and the extent to which donor organisations have addressed concerns related to gender equality. Reviews the reforms in 15 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, with a focus on Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Nicaragua. Legislation upholding gender equality is now present in different degrees in most of the countries examined. However, implementation often does not follow suit and women still face discrimination, in part due to social and cultural barriers and the inaccessibility of institutions able to support them. Moreover, gender concerns are increasingly evaporating in development cooperation policies.