Women and Property Rights

While there is no right to land codified in international human rights law, the Convention for the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), provides for women’s right to own and inherit property without discrimination on the basis of sex. Afghanistan ratified CEDAW in 2003, without reservations. CEDAW (Article 14) also calls for rural women to have equal access to economic opportunities, to credit and loans, social security programs, and to adequate living conditions, including access to housing. Numerous rights are affected by access to land (e.g., housing, food, water, work), and general principles in international law provide protections that relate to access to land (e.g., equality and nondiscrimination in ownership and inheritance). Further, the condition of landlessness threatens the entitlement of several human rights. Access to land and property is important for human development and poverty reduction, but also often necessary for access to numerous economic, social and cultural rights, and as a gateway for many civil and political rights.