GENDER LAND RIGHTS AS FACTOR OF HOUSEHOLDS’ SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RWANDA

Abstract

This study was to analyse Gender Land Rights as Factor of Households’ Sustainable Development in Rwanda.  The emphasis was put on land tenure reform theories developed in Africa for securing women's land rights through policies and laws issued in order to find out whether women land titling is really applied and if they enable the women to play their effective socio-economic role for the households’ sustainable development in Rwanda. The conclusion is that women’s titling rooted in land reform through policies and laws in Rwanda present significant positive benefits such as improved well-being for women and their families, women having a greater say in household decisions, access to loans, and higher children’s school enrollment especially girls, sustainable stability of marriage between couples, sustainable land management. However, some challenges such low level of education, cultural practises maintain women in subornation status vis-à-vis of their husbands and society in general. Thus, the study recommended to promoting awareness and education under all forms, in order to breakdown the cultural barriers avoiding women access to socio-economic capacity building for their real empowering.