Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Land is a crucial resource in agricultural food production and serves as a symbol of wealth, power, and identity for rural communities. Yet, the persistent gender gap in accessing land and other productive resources has resulted in the poor performance of largely female-dominated smallholder agricul...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123003777 |
| _version_ | 1797220196507713536 |
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| author | Arsene Mushagalusa Balasha Jules Nkulu Mwine Fyama Emery Kasongo Lenge Alex Nyumbaiza Tambwe |
| author_facet | Arsene Mushagalusa Balasha Jules Nkulu Mwine Fyama Emery Kasongo Lenge Alex Nyumbaiza Tambwe |
| author_sort | Arsene Mushagalusa Balasha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Land is a crucial resource in agricultural food production and serves as a symbol of wealth, power, and identity for rural communities. Yet, the persistent gender gap in accessing land and other productive resources has resulted in the poor performance of largely female-dominated smallholder agriculture. This study applies a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data from 232 participants to increase understanding of how women farmers access land for agricultural production in Kabare and Mulungwishi marshlands in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We articulate our research around these questions: (i) How do women access land and perceive land tenure security in marshlands? (ii)What are the sources of inequality in land access patterns in marshlands, as perceived by women farmers? (iii) What factors affect women's desire to own or acquire farmland?The findings show significant differences in patterns of women's access to land, its size, and the perception of land tenure in the two regions. Women farmers interviewed are aware of gender inequalities firmly rooted in each area's customs and cultural norms, which tend to give men more opportunities to access and control family land resources.Interestingly, a considerable proportion of women (11%) often expressed a desire for land ownership, with marital status, household size, and income generated per cropping season being the significant predictors. The findings provide insights into women's pathways, determinants of acquiring land, and related challenges. Findings call for policy interventions to strengthen women's empowerment and prioritize their access to productive resources. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T02:13:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-534dcc5b8273446080d1be55a9f5af4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-2911 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:45:42Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-534dcc5b8273446080d1be55a9f5af4c2024-04-07T04:36:20ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112024-01-019100772Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of CongoArsene Mushagalusa Balasha0Jules Nkulu Mwine Fyama1Emery Kasongo Lenge2Alex Nyumbaiza Tambwe3Agricultural Economics, University of Lubumbashi, PO Box 1825, Avenue Route Kassapa, City of Lubumbashi, Upper Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Corresponding author.Agricultural Economics, University of Lubumbashi, PO Box 1825, Avenue Route Kassapa, City of Lubumbashi, Upper Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the CongoLand Evaluation and Agro-Meteorology Research Unit, University of Lubumbashi, PO Box 1825, Avenue Route Kassapa, City of Lubumbashi, Upper Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the CongoDepartment of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Lubumbashi, PO Box 1825, Avenue Route Kassapa, City of Lubumbashi, Upper Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the CongoLand is a crucial resource in agricultural food production and serves as a symbol of wealth, power, and identity for rural communities. Yet, the persistent gender gap in accessing land and other productive resources has resulted in the poor performance of largely female-dominated smallholder agriculture. This study applies a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data from 232 participants to increase understanding of how women farmers access land for agricultural production in Kabare and Mulungwishi marshlands in the southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We articulate our research around these questions: (i) How do women access land and perceive land tenure security in marshlands? (ii)What are the sources of inequality in land access patterns in marshlands, as perceived by women farmers? (iii) What factors affect women's desire to own or acquire farmland?The findings show significant differences in patterns of women's access to land, its size, and the perception of land tenure in the two regions. Women farmers interviewed are aware of gender inequalities firmly rooted in each area's customs and cultural norms, which tend to give men more opportunities to access and control family land resources.Interestingly, a considerable proportion of women (11%) often expressed a desire for land ownership, with marital status, household size, and income generated per cropping season being the significant predictors. The findings provide insights into women's pathways, determinants of acquiring land, and related challenges. Findings call for policy interventions to strengthen women's empowerment and prioritize their access to productive resources.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123003777AgricultureLand tenureWomen's empowermentMarshlandsProductive resourcesSoutheastern DR Congo |
| spellingShingle | Arsene Mushagalusa Balasha Jules Nkulu Mwine Fyama Emery Kasongo Lenge Alex Nyumbaiza Tambwe Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo Social Sciences and Humanities Open Agriculture Land tenure Women's empowerment Marshlands Productive resources Southeastern DR Congo |
| title | Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full | Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_fullStr | Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_short | Women farmers’ access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| title_sort | women farmers access to marshlands for agricultural food production in the democratic republic of congo |
| topic | Agriculture Land tenure Women's empowerment Marshlands Productive resources Southeastern DR Congo |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123003777 |
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