Does joint land ownership empower rural women socio-economically? Evidence from Eastern Nepal

Joint Land Ownership (JLO) is increasingly important for empowering women and improving their socioeconomic well-being. However, there is a lack of empirical research on this topic. Utilizing panel data from 2015 to 2020 and employing the Binary Logit Model, this study examines the socioeconomic and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Land use policy Vol. 138; p. 107052
Main Authors:	Ghimire, Puspa Raj, Devkota, Niranjan, Maraseni, Tek, Khanal, Ghanashyam, Deuja, Jagat, Khadka, Umesh
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2024
Subjects:	Join land ownership Logistic regression model Nepal Pre-test post-test design Rural women empowerment NPC ILC VLRF Pre-test post-test design GoN JLO MoLCPA Rural women empowerment CDS CBS STATA NLRF NGOs DLRF Nepal RWE Join land ownership WDR DLRO Logistic regression model IV INGOs B/A NOU CSRC
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Summary:	Joint Land Ownership (JLO) is increasingly important for empowering women and improving their socioeconomic well-being. However, there is a lack of empirical research on this topic. Utilizing panel data from 2015 to 2020 and employing the Binary Logit Model, this study examines the socioeconomic and empowerment status of rural women who have JLO in the Sunsari district of Nepal. Particularly, we used a quasi-experimental research design and pretest and posttest research models to assess the empowerment status of rural women before and after the implementation of JLO. The results indicate a significant increase in monthly savings (270%) among women who have a JLO, as well as improved access to credit (241%), income (87%), participation in cooperatives (69%), entrepreneurship (56%), decision-making (56%), occupation (22%), and overall improvement in their socioeconomic conditions (16%). The women's participation in the JLO program also has increased by 77% in rural areas and 23% in urban areas. Furthermore, logistic regression results show that Rural Women Empowerment (RWE), resulting from JLO, varies significantly across different ethnic groups (β = −0.724, P < 0.01), land sizes (β = 0.117, P < 0.01), household sizes (β = 0.886, P < 0.01), household decision-making (β = −1.814, P < 0.05), and occupations (β = −0.868, P < 0.01). Our findings suggest that JLO significantly impacts rural women's empowerment, gender equality, and overall development, thereby assisting in the achievement of several UN Sustainable Development Goals. It emphasizes the need for policy interventions, legal reforms, and awareness-raising efforts to promote and support JLO to empower women and promote inclusive and sustainable rural development. •Joint Land Ownership (JLO) empowers women, but lacks empirical research in Nepalese and similar socio-cultural contexts.•This study examines the socioeconomic and empowerment status of rural women who have JLO in the Sunsari district of Nepal.•Quasi-experimental design used to assess JLO's impact on rural women's empowerment. Pretest & posttest models were employed.•JLO fosters rural women's empowerment, gender equality, and SDG progress.•Policy, legal reforms & awareness essential for JLO empowerment & sustainable rural development.
ISSN:	0264-8377 1873-5754
DOI:	10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107052