Abstract:
The systematic land formalization approach contributes to the women's own land officially,
which enables them to use the land for different social and economic purposes and increase their
participation in community activities in Tanzania. This study assesses the benefits of the
systematic land formalization approach to women in Ifakara town council in Tanzania focusing
on social assets associated with land ownership certificates for women, the economic use of land
certificates by women and women’s participation in decision-making in rural areas. The study
used a cross-sectional design and applied multi-stage and random sampling to select 120
households who participated in Land Tenure Support Programme in Ifakara town Council
located in the Morogoro region, Tanzania. The social, economic and participative benefits
associated with the systematic land formalization approach were determined using content and
descriptive analyses. The study found that women’s acquisition of right to own land officially
results in social and economic benefits and increases decision-making power for women in the
community. The findings showed a statistical significance (p<0.005) for official land ownership
that brings about social, and economic benefits and enhances decision-making power for women
in different aspects. The study recommends that the government of Tanzania should scale up this
approach countrywide to ensure that the majority of women acquire benefits deriving from
investment in land. |
