Land Rights and Gender Inequality in Senegal

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the industry. Core Insights - Despite legal provisions promoting gender equality in land rights, women in Senegal face significant challenges in accessing and controlling land, with only 6% owning agricultural land and 2.5% owning housing [12][25] - Traditional practices and patriarchal norms limit women's access to land, with most women obtaining land rights through inheritance, loans, or gifts, which are often temporary and secondary [13][14] - Women's limited knowledge of land access procedures and the influence of patriarchal norms contribute to their marginalization in land matters [15] - Initiatives aimed at improving women's land tenure security have shown limited effectiveness despite some encouraging results [19][20] Summary by Sections 1. Introduction - Secure access to housing, land, and property is essential for development, with women's access generating economic advantages and social status [24] - Women represent 70% of the rural labor force but have relatively insecure access to land [26][25] 2. Land Governance in Senegal: Overview - The land tenure system in Senegal is characterized by a coexistence of formal legal systems and customary practices, leading to a lack of secure land rights [42][46] - The National Domain Law (NDL) aimed to promote equitable land access but has faced implementation challenges, resulting in continued reliance on informal practices [46][52] 3. Women and Land in Senegal: A Relatively Egalitarian Legal Framework - Senegal has a progressive legal framework that prohibits gender discrimination in property rights, yet practical access remains limited [85][89] - The NDL does not specify gender for land occupants, but its implementation has historically favored men [88][89] 4. What Land Rights Do Women Have in Practice? - Women primarily access land under male supervision, with social norms and misinterpretations of religious rules contributing to their exclusion from land inheritance [15][19] - Quantitative data shows that 61.8% of land rights are obtained through inheritance, while only 1.1% hold formal land allocation decisions from municipal councils [14][60] 5. Women in Land Governance: Present but Silent - Women's participation in formal land governance is limited, with patriarchal norms reinforcing their marginalization [20][21] - The Law on Parity has improved women's presence in municipal councils, but they remain poorly represented in land commissions [20][21] 6. Conclusions and Recommendations - The report concludes with recommendations for improving women's land rights, focusing on legal frameworks, capacity building, and increasing women's roles in land governance [22]