Blog » Women's Legal Rights and Gender Gaps in Property Ownership in Developing Countries (2022)
Women's Legal Rights and Gender Gaps in Property Ownership in Developing Countries (2022)
Drawing on data from Demographic and Health Surveys across 41 low-income countries, this paper finds that husbands are, on average, 2.7 times more likely than wives to own property solely and 1.4 times more likely to own property either solely or jointly. These disparities are starker among disadvantaged groups, such as rural residents and the poorest quintile. The likelihood of married women owning property strongly correlates with egalitarian legal regimes, underscoring the importance of legal reforms to advance gender equality in asset ownership.
Blog » Women's Legal Rights and Gender Gaps in Property Ownership in Developing Countries (2022)
Women's Legal Rights and Gender Gaps in Property Ownership in Developing Countries (2022)
Drawing on data from Demographic and Health Surveys across 41 low-income countries, this paper finds that husbands are, on average, 2.7 times more likely than wives to own property solely and 1.4 times more likely to own property either solely or jointly. These disparities are starker among disadvantaged groups, such as rural residents and the poorest quintile. The likelihood of married women owning property strongly correlates with egalitarian legal regimes, underscoring the importance of legal reforms to advance gender equality in asset ownership.