Research Insight: The interplay of statutory and customary laws on land rights (Tanzania)

Land ownership and inheritance rights play a critical role for gender equity, and the land-poverty nexus has drawn considerable attention both in academia and policy circles.

This EDI Research Insight highlights key findings from research designed to build an understanding of how institutions can affect female land property rights in rural Tanzania following the legal reforms of the late 1990s. There are four key findings to date:

1. Female inheritance land rights have improved over time, but are still limited;
2. Female inheritance rights are often partial;
3. Village Institution members are not gender neutral;
4. Women are underrepresented in village institutions.

Authors: Garance Genicot and Maria Hernandez de Benito