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Is women's ownership of land a panacea in developing countries? Evidence from land-owning farm households in Malawi

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  • Sumon K. Bhaumik

    ()

  • Ralitza Dimova

    ()

  • Ira N. Gang

    ()

Abstract

Our analysis of a rich representative household survey for Malawi, where patrilineal and matrilineal institutions coexist, suggests that (a) in matrilineal societies the likelihood of cash crop cultivation by a household increases with the extent of land owned (or de facto controlled) by males, and (b) and cultivation of cash crops increases household welfare. The policy implication is that facilitating female ownership of assets through informal and formal institutions does not, on its own, increase welfare, if women do not have access to complementary resources that are needed to generate income from those assets.

Suggested Citation

  • Sumon K. Bhaumik & Ralitza Dimova & Ira N. Gang, 2013. "Is women's ownership of land a panacea in developing countries? Evidence from land-owning farm households in Malawi," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp1055, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    • Handle: RePEc:wdi:papers:2013-1055
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    female ownership of assets; informal institutions; cash crops; household welfare;

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • O2 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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