Property rights for women

Land ownership leads to increased income and wealth accumulation, additional investment options and greater access to credit.

Women own less than 15 percent of land worldwide.
Throughout the developing world, women tend to work in the lowest paid sectors, have less stable incomes, work longer hours, have less access to training and education, and have fewer economic opportunities including the ability or right to own property

Many women cannot own the land where they live.
Women make up over 40 percent of the labor force in East and South-east Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean. In some places women produce 60-80 percent of the food supply. Yet often they cannot own the land they farm.

Many women face great difficulties in gaining legal ownership of land.
Poor men and women in developing countries find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain titles to their land. To legally purchase state- or privately-owned urban land in the Philippines, it takes 168 steps involving 53 public and private entities. The process could stretch from thirteen to 25 years (De Soto 2000).

Investing in women yields exponential returns.
When women have access to credit and the ability to increase their income, they often invest their earnings into the health and education of their families. Research shows that an increase in opportunities for a woman means her daughters are more likely to go to school. Her babies are more likely to survive infancy, and her family is more likely to eat nutritious meals. Additionally, she is less vulnerable to trafficking, HIV/AIDS and overall has more options in the face of violence, abuse, or death of spouse.