Are There Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Land Security? Evidence from Urban Lesotho

As part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact Agreement, the Government of Lesotho has implemented an institutional strengthening and land regularization project in the urban and peri-urban areas of the capital city Maseru. The main objective of this project is to strengthen the rights of the legitimate occupiers of the land by a process of formalizing those rights. This formalization process of the rights to land is expected to promote private sector development and stimulate economic growth. The Compact Agreement has also supported training and public awareness to promote increased understanding and acceptance of gender equality and to ensure equal access by women to economic resources and opportunities. This paper explores gender differences in the perceived effects of securing land rights on behavioral outcomes related to household participation in land market and economic investments. It presents descriptive and analytical results of a cross-sectional data based on a household survey conducted in 2013 in four northern municipal councils of greater Maseru. Preliminary results indicate that on many indicators of perceived effect of secured land rights, there are no gender differences. Econometrics analysis to identify factors that determine different behavioral outcomes in terms of market participation and land investment is further explored.