The President of the Asian Development Bank, speaking recently at its annual meeting in Fiji, highlighted several areas that ADB considered essential to economic development, among them being gender equality and women empowerment. A particular focus was on supporting a transformative gender agenda such as promoting women’s land title ownership which is a basis for women economic empowerment. (Source: Solomon Star)
It will be interesting to see how this translates locally, particularly with respect to customary land, which traditionally, has been dominated by men, who tend be the decision-makers and beneficiaries regarding commercial developments on customary land. The discourse around women’s ownership and decision-making in relation to customary land may need to change if ADB’s development goal is to be achieved. Increased advocacy by the usual development-aid partners may be required. Law reform is also a distant possibility.
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