sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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(b)
Land ownership
Land rights can improve people’s social and economic status, as they bring other benefits, such as
access to credit and technology training, and participation in community decision-making processes on
land management and use. This is a major source of women’s empowerment (UNDP/América Latina
Genera, <strong>20</strong>10).
All countries in Latin America recognize equal land inheritance rights for women (UN-Women,
<strong>20</strong>10a). In some legal frameworks, women are included as holders of rights, although most recognize the
right of the partner (with joint title) or of the individual, irrespective of gender. Chile, Colombia and
Nicaragua gave priority to women heads of household in land distribution or titling (RIMISP, <strong>20</strong>06). In
practice, though, women’s control over land tends to be limited. Effective implementation of laws
guaranteeing equal rights to land ownership is constrained by being interwoven with the discrimination
inherent in other aspects of the legal framework, particularly in matters of divorce and inheritance. In
addition, the factors determining who controls land usually result from a complex interplay between various
legal systems —state, traditional and religious— and cultural norms (see box I.4).
In many countries of the region, no land reforms or public policies promoting equitable land
distribution have yet been introduced. Strengthening women’s access to, and control over, land is an
important means of raising their status and influence within households and communities. Improving
women’s access to land and security of tenure has direct impacts on farm productivity and can also have
far-reaching implications for improving household well-being (FAO, <strong>20</strong>11).
There is a pressing need to make progress in this area and to guarantee women and men the right
to land on equal terms, in order to fight rural poverty and achieve <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> and gender
equality. Agricultural extension services should mainstream the gender perspective into their work, taking
concrete actions to promote women’s participation in climate-change adaptation programmes, as well as
making available new technologies, such as solar-powered irrigation systems or drought-resistant crops
(Lambrou and Piana, <strong>20</strong>06).
(c)
Resource access, management and planning
Women face greater obstacles in access to productive resources (such as land or livestock),
training, credit or other financial services and making decisions on the management of resources
(including the use of their own time), with the result that they are more likely to be poor (Rico, 1998).
Agenda 21, chapter 24, paragraph 2(f) states that a key objective is to formulate and implement
clear government policies and national guidelines, strategies and plans for the achievement of equality “in
all aspects of society”. Ensuring that women participate in public planning processes and that policies
have adequate funding is therefore critical to their success. However, few policies and programmes focus
on women from rural areas, and few national adaptation programmes of action mention women as key
stakeholders or players in adaptation activities.
It is crucial to identify women as stakeholders in <strong>development</strong> processes, by including them in
consultations and in policy and programme design and implementation, thereby ensuring equal access to,
and an equal share in the benefits of, resource management and planning.