02 July, 2007
A public seminar this month in Vanuatu will reveal new research findings into matrilineal land tenure that examines what role women play.
Two researchers have been studying gender influences on the land tenure system in two places - Raga in North Pentecost and in South Efate’s Mele village.
Researcher Anna Naupa says one of the most interesting aspects of the study for her, was how widows and foreigners get treated.
“If a women’s rights to land depends on her relationship with the male, then what happens if there is no male? I mean where are her rights and what can she do? And particularly for women who are outside the culture that the land is managed within.”
Ms Naupa says the aim of the seminar is to get local feedback on the draft research .
Coordinated by the USP in Fiji, the study is part of regional efforts to look into matrilineal society and the role of women in land tenure, in several Pacific countries.