Abstract
In Madagascar, the extent of gender-based inequalities in land tenure remains significant, and the mechanisms that produce these inequalities are still poorly understood. This report provides an overview of the differences between men and women's access to land for agriculture. It is based on the analysis of quantitative data in 4 regions of the country, qualitative surveys and on a literature review.This study shows that female-headed households own as much land as male-headed households, but that at the individual level (within households), wives own less farmland than their husbands. Individual inequalities stem in particular from inheritance practices, even in regions where local rules theoretically stipulate egalitarian inheritance among siblings. Land markets do not appear to be able to compensate for these inequalities, given that most purchases are made during the union and that women remain less active than men on land markets.Quantitative analysis also reveals that households mainly declare their plots as being owned jointly by the spouses. However, qualitative surveys suggest that these figures may mask differences in rights and power between spouses. This finding calls for more in-depth studies to open up the “black box” of “joint” plots, and to analyze in detail the land rights of men and women, particularly in cases of divorce and widowhood. Finally, the feeling of tenure security is identical regardless of the gender of the owner. Women took advantage of the 2005 land reform. Indeed, 26% of certified plots owned by women (compared with 20% of plots owned by men). However, there is a problem with plots declared as belonging to “the couple”, which are very largely registered in the name of the man alone. Registration of joint property in the name of both spouses is still (in 2015) an exceptional practice.