A Field of One's Own: Gender and Land Rights in South Asia (Cambridge South Asian Studies, Series Number 58)

In this comprehensive analysis of gender and property throughout South Asia, Bina Agarwal argues that the most important economic factor affecting women is the gender gap in command over property. In rural South Asia, few women own land and even fewer control it. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including field research, the author addresses the reason for this imbalance, and asks how the barriers to ownership can be overcome. The book offers original insights into the current theoretical and policy debates on land reform and women's status. An Analysis Of Gender And Property Throughout South Asia Which Argues That The Most Important Economic Factor Affecting Women Is The Gender Gap In Command Over Property. 1. Land Rights For Women: Making The Case. I. The Backdrop. Ii. Gender, Property, And Land: Some Conceptual Links. Iii. Why Do Women Need Independent Rights In Land? Iv. Questions Addressed, Information Base, And The Book's Structure -- 2. Conceptualizing Gender Relations. I. Gender Relations Within The Household/family. Ii. Gender Relations Outside The Household/family: The Market, The Community, And The State. Iii. Interactions: The Household/family: The Community, And The State -- 3. Customary Rights And Associated Practices. I. Which Communities Customarily Recognized Women's Rights In Land? Ii. Women's Land Rights In Traditionally Matrilineal And Bilateral Communities. Iii. Women's Land Rights, Structural Conditionalities, And Gender Relations -- 4. Erosion And Disinheritance: Traditionally Matrilineal And Bilateral Communities. I. India. Ii. Sri Lanka -- 5. Contemporary Laws: Contestation And Content. I. India. Ii. Pakistan, Bangladesh, And Muslims In India. Iii. Sri Lanka. Iv. Nepal. V. Summary Comments On Women's Legal Rights In Landed Property In South Asia -- 6. Whose Share? Who Claims? The Gap Between Law And Practice. I. The Gap Between Law And Practice In Traditionally Patrilineal Communities. Ii. Barriers To Women Inheriting Land In Traditionally Patrilineal Communities. Iii. Glimmer Of Change: Women Claim Inheritance Shares In Some Traditionally Patrilineal Communities. Iv. A Look At Traditionally Matrilineal And Bilateral Communities. V. Some Hypotheses -- 7. Whose Land? Who Commands? The Gap Between Ownership And Control. I. Women's Ability To Retain Their Land. Ii. Control Over The Transfer And Use Of Land. Iii. Barriers To Women Self-managing Land -- 8. Tracing Cross-regional Diversities. I. Some Hypotheses. Ii. Information Sources. Iii. The Cross-regional Patterns. Iv. An Overview Of Regional Patterns -- 9. Struggles Over Resources, Struggles Over Meanings. I. On Women's Consciousness And Individual Resistance. Ii. Group Resistance: Struggles Over Privatized Land. Iii. Group Resistance: Claiming Rights In Public Land. Iv. Further Observations On Gender Construction And Group Contestation -- 10. The Long March Ahead. I. Recapitulation. Ii. Some Suggestions, Some Dilemmas. Iii. The Macro-scenario. Bina Agarwal. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 510-552) And Index. This is the first major study of gender and property in South Asia. In a pioneering and comprehensive analysis Bina Agarwal argues that the single most important economic factor affecting women's situation is the gender gap in command over property. In rural South Asia, the most significant form of property is arable land, a critical determinant of economic well-being, social status, and empowerment. But few women own land; fewer control it. Drawing on a vast range of interdisciplinary sources and her own field research, and tracing regional variations across five countries, the author investigates the complex barriers to women's land ownership and control, and how they might be overcome. The book makes significant and original contributions to theory and policy concerning land reforms, 'bargaining' and gender relations, women's status, and the nature of resistance Frontmatter List of illustrations (page xii) List of tables (page xiii) Preface (page xv) 1 Land rights for women: making the case (page 1) 2 Conceptualizing gender relations (page 51) 3 Customary rights and associated practices (page 82) 4 Erosion and disinheritance: traditionally matrilineal and bilateral communities (page 153) 5 Contemporary laws: contestation and content (page 198) 6 Whose share? Who claims? The gap between law and practice (page 249) 7 Whose land? Who commands? The gap between ownership and control (page 292) 8 Tracing cross-regional diversities (page 316) 9 Struggles over resources, struggles over meanings (page 421) 10 The long march ahead (page 467) Definitions (page 505) Glossary (page 507) References (page 510) Index (page 553)