Udoh, Oluwakemi D. and Folarin, S. F. and Isumonah, Victor and Obidiegwu, Ozioma (2019) SECURITY OF LAND TENURE FOR WOMEN: AN IMPERATIVE FOR FOOD SECURITY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. In: 6th International Conference on Education, Social Sciences and Humanities, 24-26 June 2019, Istanbul, Turkey.
![[img]](http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png) |
PDF
Download (593kB) |
Abstract
This paper seeks to assess the impact of promoting security of land tenure for women and food security in developing countries. Food security, which is the ability to get constant access to food in order to enjoy a healthy life, has been a central issue in global discourse, particularly among developing nations. This is because, among other things, food security and access is not inconsequential to the standard of living for countries, households and individuals. Unhindered access to nutritious food is indeed a crucial indicator for assessing the quality of life due to the fact that it is intrinsically linked to health issues such as malnourishment and depletion of the body’s immune system. Nonetheless, the availability of food in any given country depends on a number of factors which include the state of the agricultural sector; natural disasters (such as floods, droughts and monsoons); famine and security of land tenure, especially for women. Women all over the world – either in rural or urban settings – make up a large percentage of the agricultural workforce in developing countries. Their agricultural activities (as seed-planters or harvesters of crops) at subsistence and commercial levels ensure that, they provide adequate and nutritionally balanced food for their households first, and subsequently for commercial purposes. However, there exists a gender gap in their overall access to land, particularly in rural agrarian economies of developing countries. The justification for this study is that, eighty per cent (80%) of foods produced in developing nations are grown by women who do not own parcels of land while farms managed by female-headed households are disproportionate in size compared to their male counterparts. Apart from being denied rights to purchase land, others are deprived of access as a result of forceful evictions perpetrated by male relatives, land-grabbers or community leaders. This paper argues that, the challenges women encounter in enjoying land rights deters them from participating effectively and efficiently in the fight against food insecurity. It is therefore recommended that national legislations and cultural practices that discriminate against women be reformed and abolished respectively. There should also be a greater inclusion of women in decision-making at different levels. The study relies solely on secondary data derived from extant literature and employs textual analysis in discussing the subject.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Food security, women’s access to land, agriculture, women’s rights |
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JA Political science (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Mrs Patricia Nwokealisi |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Feb 2022 16:20 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Feb 2022 16:20 |
| URI: | http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/15599 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
