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Right to stay? Long-run experimental evidence on land formalization and widows’ tenure security in Benin

Author

Listed:
  • Botea, Ioana
  • Goldstein, Markus
  • Houngbedji, Kenneth
  • Kondylis, Florence
  • O’Sullivan, Michael
  • Selod, Harris

Abstract

In many parts of the world, women’s land rights remain informal, leaving widows – especially those without a male heir – at high risk of losing access to their land and homes when their husbands die. We study whether large-scale land formalization programs can improve widows’ tenure security, using data from a randomized controlled trial in rural Benin. Four years after the intervention, widows in villages with land formalization were significantly more likely to remain in their homes, with the strongest effects among those without a male heir. We identify two key mechanisms: increased community recognition of women’s land rights and greater decision-making power over land resources. These findings highlight the potential of land formalization to strengthen women’s tenure security and promote their long-term economic stability in similar settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Botea, Ioana & Goldstein, Markus & Houngbedji, Kenneth & Kondylis, Florence & O’Sullivan, Michael & Selod, Harris, 2026. "Right to stay? Long-run experimental evidence on land formalization and widows’ tenure security in Benin," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:deveco:v:179:y:2026:i:c:s0304387825002263
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103675
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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