Gendered effects of land access and ownership on food security in rural settings in South Africa

Abstract

South Africa is one of the many countries that experience critical challenges regarding land issues, with rural women in particular having limited access to and ownership of land. This paper argues that land inaccessibility for women contributes significantly to their deprivation of economic opportunities. Secondary data on women and land ownership were extracted from main sources such as peer-reviewed articles and government gazettes. In the execution of this study, a comprehensive literature review (CLR) was conducted to illuminate the topic under investigation. The three phases (the exploration phase, the interpretative phase, and the communicative phase) of the comprehensive literature review method were adopted. The result of the review suggests that the gendered nature of land distribution contributes to the phenomenon of food insecurity that faces numerous women and their households in rural areas. The customary law is a key institutional factor that poses challenges for rural women in acquiring equal access to land ownership compared to men. The study recommends that the South African government should formulate better land policies that provide equal access to and ownership of land for both men and women.

Deciphering the Drivers of Food Security in Tanzania: Non-experimental Research Design

“…However, despite some literature suggesting its positive impact, the non-significant coefficient for improved seed usage highlights the need for context-specific examination of factors influencing seed effectiveness in Tanzania (Chegere et al, 2020;Silambi et al, 2023). Furthermore, while aligning with the literature on its role in improving soil fertility, the negative coefficient for fertiliser usage underscores the importance of considering contextual factors like soil type and crop choice (Masuku et al, 2023;Kitole et al, 2024a). The non-significant coefficients for bank loans/credit, remittances, and tractor cultivation may indicate differing influences in Tanzanian smallholder farming, emphasising the necessity for nuanced policy considerations (Jena & Tanti, 2023;Erickson and Fausti, 2021).…”