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The Development Hypothesis of Women Empowerment in the Millennium Development Goals Tested in the Context Women’s Access to Land in Africa

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  • Ambe J. Njoh

    (University of South Florida)

  • Erick Ananga

    (University of South Florida)

Abstract

An important hypothesis implicit in the third of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is tested in this study. The hypothesis is that women empowerment can facilitate attainment of other development goals. Africa is the empirical referent and people’s access to land constitutes the substantive focus. A multiple regression model having as its dependent variable, gender-based inequality in access to land (GENDINEQ) is employed. Indicators of women empowerment—women’s literacy, proportion of women with a secondary education, proportion of women with formal employment, and women in government—as stipulated in Goal #3 of the MDGs constitute the predictor variables. All but one variable, women’s literacy, are negatively associated with GENDINEQ. This affirms the hypothesized inverse relationship between women’s empowerment and gender inequality in access to land. The exception is not statistically significant and might have occurred by chance. Thus, authorities in Africa would do well to pursue gender empowerment policies as a means of increasing women’s access to land and other valuable resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Ambe J. Njoh & Erick Ananga, 2016. "The Development Hypothesis of Women Empowerment in the Millennium Development Goals Tested in the Context Women’s Access to Land in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 89-104, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:128:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1007_s11205-015-1020-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-1020-8
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    2. Byela Tibesigwa, 2018. "Naturally Available Pollinator Decline Will Decrease Household Food and Increase Gender-Gap in Nutrition between Men and Women Who Head Smallholder Farm Households in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 741, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    3. Qahraman Kakar, 2023. "How does Religious Rule affect the strength of women’s empowerment? A micro-level empirical analysis for Afghanistan," Erudite Working Paper 2023-08, Erudite.
    4. Samuel T. Partey & Angela D. Dakorah & Robert B. Zougmoré & Mathieu Ouédraogo & Mary Nyasimi & Gordon K. Nikoi & Sophia Huyer, 2020. "Gender and climate risk management: evidence of climate information use in Ghana," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 158(1), pages 61-75, January.
    5. Ambreen Khursheed, 2022. "Exploring the role of microfinance in women’s empowerment and entrepreneurial development: a qualitative study," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Wei Wei & Tanwne Sarker & Wioletta Żukiewicz-Sobczak & Rana Roy & G. M. Monirul Alam & Md. Ghulam Rabbany & Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain & Noshaba Aziz, 2021. "The Influence of Women’s Empowerment on Poverty Reduction in the Rural Areas of Bangladesh: Focus on Health, Education and Living Standard," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, June.

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