The Case for Including Women’s Tenure Security and Access to Land in DFAT’s New International Gender Equality Strategy

LEI has long recognised that progress on gender equality is intimately linked to women’s access and ownership of land. There can be no gender equality if women cannot access shelter and land on an equal footing to men. Further, the evidence is overwhelming that addressing the rights of women to land supports other key development outcomes, including improved child nutrition, strengthened women’s economic agency, reductions in gender-based violence (in some contexts) and action on climate change – especially as it concerns halting deforestation in communally managed areas. In our rapid submission to Australia’s new International Gender Equality Policy, we set out the evidence to support women’s land rights – arguing inter alia, that supporting change in this area implements women’s human rights, while also achieving multiple DFAT international development objectives.

Download the submission on our Publications page.