ISSN 2736-1578
African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 26–39
DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001286
Article Type: Research Article
Title: Customary Land Tenure and Rural Women’s Economic Autonomy in East Africa
Names of Author: Dr. Wanjiku Mwangi¹ & Prof. Samuel Kamau²
Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Gender and Development Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya; ²Institute for Development Studies, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Abstract:
Agricultural production forms the backbone of rural livelihoods across East Africa, yet women who constitute the majority of smallholder farmers remain systematically excluded from formal land ownership. Although statutory reforms in several African nations recognize women’s constitutional rights to inherit and acquire property, customary patrilineal practices continue to restrict female control over arable land. Consequently, rural women face heightened economic vulnerability, limited access to agricultural credit, and reduced bargaining power within their households. This study investigates the tension between statutory land laws and customary tenure systems in rural Kenya and Uganda. Utilizing a feminist political economy framework, the paper evaluates how women’s agricultural cooperatives negotiate land access and challenge patriarchal inheritance norms. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and focus group discussions with 120 rural female farmers, the findings reveal that collective land leasing and legal literacy programs significantly enhance women’s economic autonomy and household food security.
Keywords: Land tenure, customary law, rural women, economic autonomy, feminist political economy, inheritance rights, East Africa, agrarian reform
Manuscript Timeline: Received: May 18, 2026; Revised: June 25, 2026; Accepted: June 28, 2026; Published: August 14, 2026.
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