Gendered Access and Control Over Land and Water Resources in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania
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Date
2017-04-28
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Abstract
This paper assessed the gendered access and control over land and water, using the Ihemi cluster of
the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania (SAGCOT) as a study area. Specifically, the paper
answered the question on how decisions are made between men and women over land and water in the
SAGCOT area, as well as how access and control over land and water is conducted. Data for this paper
was drawn from the baseline study which was conducted for the project known as Laying Foundation
for Effective Landscape-level Planning for Sustainable Development (LiFELand). A cross-sectional
research design was used, whereby a questionnaire was administered to 167 women and 440 men. In
addition, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were also conducted to complement
and allow triangulation of data. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively; while, qualitative data was
analyzed using content analysis. In general, the results show that female headed households accounted
for more than a quarter of the surveyed households; the number was slightly higher in the Njombe
region. Results further show that women had no control over land and water as important productive
resources in rural areas. The results also show that a larger proportion of both men and women had
no right of occupancy over the land they owned hence their inability to use it as collateral in accessing
loans from formal financial institutions. The paper therefore recommends efforts be made to empower
women, hence enabling them to actively participate in decision-making, particularly regarding land
and water. Equitable decision-making power can immensely enhance ecosystem conservation and
sustainable utilization over land and water as women are the major actors in agriculture. To achieve
gender equality there is a need for awareness creation for both men and women using gender
sensitive programs that will allow not only equality in use but a sustainable utilization of Land and
Water as important natural resources in the SAGCOT (Southern Agriculture Growth Corridor) areas.
Description
Journal of Natural Resources and Development, 2016; 06: 108 - 117
Keywords
Gender inequalities, Land and water ownership Decision making, Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania
Citation
Sikira, A.N. and J. J. Kashaigili (2017) Gendered Access and Control over Land and Water Resources in the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania. Journal of Natural Resources and Development, 06: 108 – 117, DOI number: 10.5027/jnrd.v6i0.12