WUNRN
GIRLS’ SECURITY, RIGHTS, EMPOWERMENT THROUGH LAND RIGHTS
10 WAYS SECURE LAND
RIGHTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Demonstrating the Power of a Small Piece of Land: The Girls
Project
The Girls Project, a
partnership between the government of West Bengal and Landesa, aims to position
girls to realize land rights as women, improving their long-term economic and
social prospects, and enabling them to reduce vulnerabilities – including child
marriage, lack of education, and malnutrition – that they face in the immediate
term as adolescents.
More than 40,000
girls are currently participating in the project, learning about their rights
to own and inherit land, and receiving training in intensive gardening skills
during regular meetings led by the girls themselves with support from
government rural health workers.
Girls who participate
in the program are more likely to stay in school, marry later, and have an
asset in their name.
10 WAYS SECURE LAND
RIGHTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1. Nutrition: Children whose mothers have secure land rights are
less likely to be severely underweight.
2. Education: Children whose parents have secure land rights are
more likely to complete secondary school.
3. Conservation: Women and men with secure land rights spend more
time devoted to soil and water conservation.
4. Domestic Violence: Women with secure land rights are less likely to
experience long term physical violence.
5. Food Security: Titled land is more productive than untitled land
due to greater investment in the land.
6. Poverty Alleviation: Families with secure land rights are more likely to
have a greater income.
7. Health: Children whose parents have secure land rights are
less likely to experience teenage pregnancy.
8. Conflict: Countries with large populations of landless are
more likely to experience conflict.
9. Government Services: Families with secure land rights are more likely to
be able to access government services.
10. Access to Credit: Women and men with secure land rights are more likely to have access to institutional credit.