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Beyond the obvious catastrophic effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on mortality, demographicchanges, and the suffering of individuals and their families, we are still only learning about thecomplex longer-term effects of the pandemic on poverty and vulnerability. For example, theHIV/AIDS pandemic has substantially increased the number of widow-headed households inAfrica. A huge number of conceptual and qualitative studies highlight gender inequalities inproperty rights, and the difficulties that widows and their dependents face in retaining access toland after the death of their husbands. HIV/AIDS has undoubtedly exacerbated such problems.However, there remains limited quantitative evidence using representative survey data on theextent to which widows lose their rights to land after the death of their husbands, whether theylose all or part of the land they were formerly controlling, and whether there are certaincharacteristics of the widow, her deceased husband, and/or her household that influence thelikelihood of her losing land rights. It is highly possible that government programs designed toprovide a safety net to vulnerable groups may not reach their potential if they ignore genderdimensions of local institutions and property rights.
