IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/afgend/265534.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gender, land and responses to health and environmental shocks in rural South Western Uganda

Author

Listed:
  • Rutakumwa, Rwamahe
  • Pain, Adam
  • Bukenya, Dominic
  • Tumwekwase, Grace
  • Ssembajja, Fatuma
  • Seeley, Janet

Abstract

We examine the gendered responses to shocks – including HIV-related illness and death, and environmental factors such as drought or too much rain – and how women in south western Uganda navigate structural barriers such as the gender constraints in land ownership, to cope with the impact of shocks. The study is based on data drawn from households selected from a General Population Cohort of 20,000 people in Kalungu District. As part of a larger study investigating the impact of HIV on agricultural livelihoods, 22 households were purposively sampled for a qualitative study. These households were stratified by sex of household head and by a death having occurred/not occurred of an HIV-positive individual in the household. Our findings show the gendered dimensions in household responses to crises are shaped by women and men’s position in the social structure in general and within their families and households. Women can make effective use of their social relations to obtain material support and information to improve their family’s livelihood.

Suggested Citation

  • Rutakumwa, Rwamahe & Pain, Adam & Bukenya, Dominic & Tumwekwase, Grace & Ssembajja, Fatuma & Seeley, Janet, 2017. "Gender, land and responses to health and environmental shocks in rural South Western Uganda," Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security (Agri-Gender), Africa Centre for Gender, Social Research and Impact Assessment, vol. 2(2), April.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:afgend:265534
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.265534
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/265534/files/JGAFS222017-3-Paper.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/265534/files/JGAFS222017-3-Paper.pdf?subformat=pdfa
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.265534?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sumon Kumar Bhaumik & Ralitza Dimova & Ira N. Gang, 2016. "Is Women’s Ownership of Land a Panacea in Developing Countries? Evidence from Land-Owning Farm Households in Malawi," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(2), pages 242-253, February.
    2. Joireman, S.F., 2008. "The Mystery of Capital Formation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Women, Property Rights and Customary Law," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 1233-1246, July.
    3. Ingrid Yngstrom, 2002. "Women, Wives and Land Rights in Africa: Situating Gender Beyond the Household in the Debate Over Land Policy and Changing Tenure Systems," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 21-40.
    4. Flatø, Martin & Muttarak, Raya & Pelser, André, 2017. "Women, Weather, and Woes: The Triangular Dynamics of Female-Headed Households, Economic Vulnerability, and Climate Variability in South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 41-62.
    5. Gabriel Rugalema, 2000. "Coping or struggling? a journey into the impact of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(86), pages 537-545.
    6. Silberschmidt, Margrethe, 2001. "Disempowerment of Men in Rural and Urban East Africa: Implications for Male Identity and Sexual Behavior," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 657-671, April.
    7. Van Aelst, Katrien & Holvoet, Nathalie, 2016. "Intersections of Gender and Marital Status in Accessing Climate Change Adaptation: Evidence from Rural Tanzania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 40-50.
    8. Cheryl Doss & Mai Truong & Gorrettie Nabanoga & Justine Namaalwa, 2012. "Women, Marriage and Asset Inheritance in Uganda," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 30(5), pages 597-616, September.
    9. Carolyn Baylies, 2002. "The Impact of AIDS on Rural Households in Africa: A Shock Like Any Other?," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 33(4), pages 611-632, September.
    10. Klasen, Stephan & Lechtenfeld, Tobias & Povel, Felix, 2015. "A Feminization of Vulnerability? Female Headship, Poverty, and Vulnerability in Thailand and Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 36-53.
    11. Faustin Tirwirukwa Kalabamu, 2009. "Towards egalitarian inheritance rights in Botswana: the case of Tlokweng," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(2), pages 209-223.
    12. Cheryl Doss & Ruth Meinzen-Dick & Allan Bomuhangi, 2014. "Who Owns the Land? Perspectives from Rural Ugandans and Implications for Large-Scale Land Acquisitions," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(1), pages 76-100, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Andersson Djurfeldt, Agnes, 2020. "Gendered land rights, legal reform and social norms in the context of land fragmentation - A review of the literature for Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andersson Djurfeldt, Agnes, 2020. "Gendered land rights, legal reform and social norms in the context of land fragmentation - A review of the literature for Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Burrone, Sara & Giannelli, Gianna Claudia, 2023. "Do Households Where Women Own Land Fare Better for Food Security? Evidence for Tanzania," IZA Discussion Papers 16382, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Rao, Nitya & Singh, Chandni & Solomon, Divya & Camfield, Laura & Sidiki, Rahina & Angula, Margaret & Poonacha, Prathigna & Sidibé, Amadou & Lawson, Elaine T., 2020. "Managing risk, changing aspirations and household dynamics: Implications for wellbeing and adaptation in semi-arid Africa and India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    4. Lambrecht, Isabel, 2016. "“As a husband I will love, lead, and provide:†Gendered access to land in Ghana:," IFPRI discussion papers 1514, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Feyertag, Joseph & Childress, Malcolm & Langdown, Ian & Locke, Anna & Nizalov, Denys, 2021. "How does gender affect the perceived security of land and property rights? Evidence from 33 countries," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    6. Eastin, Joshua, 2018. "Climate change and gender equality in developing states," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 289-305.
    7. Gaynor Paradza & Lebogang Mokwena & Walter Musakwa, 2020. "Could Mapping Initiatives Catalyze the Interpretation of Customary Land Rights in Ways that Secure Women’s Land Rights?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-17, September.
    8. Ayala Wineman, 2019. "Women’s welfare and livelihoods outside of marriage: evidence from rural Tanzania," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 993-1024, September.
    9. Osmani, Ahmad Reshad & Okunade, Albert, 2021. "A Double-Hurdle Model of Healthcare Expenditures across Income Quintiles and Family Size: New Insights from a household Survey," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 14(6), pages 246-246.
    10. Tom Ogwang & Frank Vanclay, 2019. "Social Impacts of Land Acquisition for Oil and Gas Development in Uganda," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-15, July.
    11. Lambrecht, Isabel Brigitte, 2016. "“As a Husband I Will Love, Lead, and Provide.” Gendered Access to Land in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 188-200.
    12. Asaaga, Festus A. & Hirons, Mark A., 2019. "Windows of opportunity or windows of exclusion? Changing dynamics of tenurial relations in rural Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    13. Masekesa, Faith & Munro, Alistair, 2020. "Intra-household inequality, fairness and productivity. Evidence from a real effort experiment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    14. Selorm Kobla Kugbega & Agnes Andersson Djurfeldt, 2023. "Gendered dynamics of state‐led smallholder commercialisation in Ghana. The case of Nkoranza traditional area," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(5), pages 716-737, July.
    15. Thomas, Felicity, 2006. "Stigma, fatigue and social breakdown: Exploring the impacts of HIV/AIDS on patient and carer well-being in the Caprivi Region, Namibia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(12), pages 3174-3187, December.
    16. Hagedoorn, L.C. & Bubeck, P. & Hudson, P. & Brander, L.M. & Pham, M. & Lasage, R., 2021. "Preferences of vulnerable social groups for ecosystem-based adaptation to flood risk in Central Vietnam," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    17. Deininger, Klaus & Xia, Fang & Kilic, Talip & Moylan, Heather, 2021. "Investment impacts of gendered land rights in customary tenure systems: Substantive and methodological insights from Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    18. Subir Bairagi & Ashok K. Mishra & Dat Q. Tran, 2022. "Disentangling gender‐differentiated impacts on food security and poverty: Empirical evidence from Vietnam," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(3), pages 493-511, April.
    19. Bizoza, Alfred R. & Opio-Omoding, James, 2021. "Assessing the impacts of land tenure regularization: Evidence from Rwanda and Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    20. Hasanbasri, Ardina & Koolwal, Gayatri & Kilic, Talip & Moylan, Heather, 2021. "Multidimensionality of Land Ownership Among Men and Women in Sub-Saharan Africa," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315317, International Association of Agricultural Economists.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:afgend:265534. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://agrigender.net/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.