Article Index
5. Gender Concerns in Somalia Land Governance
The war torn Somalia has had several challenges but despite these challenges, Islamic laws allow women to inherit land though in practice farmers only granted rights to men. Women were also able to secure economic partnerships over land use with their sons particularly if the son was unmarried or had a wife who was occupied with children. The 1979 constitution of the Somali democratic republic outlines social and cultural rights including gender equality but the civil war has deprived women of a central government that could protect these rights. As efforts to return peace are ongoing, it cannot go unnoticed that the land governance framework is gender sensitive and aims at achieving equal opportunity for all citizens men and women inclusive in respect to land matters.