Upland women’s land rights and livelihoods : a case study of Yunnan Province in China

Author: Dajiang Sun

AIT Library Call Number: AIT Thesis no.GD-07-05

Year: 2007

Academic Program: Gender and Development Studies (GDS)

Type: Thesis (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2007

Examination Committee: Bernadette P. Resurreccion (Chairperson); Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt, Philippe Doneys (Examination Committee Members)

Abstract: This paper attempts to demonstrate the link between women’s land rights and their livelihoods through using empirical data from a case study in an upland ethnic Wa village of Yunnan province in China. This paper reviews transformations of women’s access to land through exercising their land rights under two types of land tenure arrangements: the state-led land tenure reform and the household-led land allocation, and examines different livelihoods effects of women’s statutory and customary land rights. This paper argues that the statutory rights of women strengthen women’s better access to land and other livelihood assets like labour through the state equalitarian land allocation between women and men. However, the customary practice of land allocation weakens women’s access to land through household discriminatory land allocation against women. This paper also argues that land access by women determines the ability of women to contribute maintenance of livelihoods in their households

Scholarship Donor(s): Winrock International

Note: A Thesis Submitted in Partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies, School of Environment, Resources and Development

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Search keywords index: Dajiang Sun Upland women’s land rights and livelihoods : a case study of Yunnan Province in China Gender and Development Studies (GDS) Land tenure — China — Yunnan;”Women’s rights — China — Yunnan”