Paper short abstract:

The paper will examine how gender relations alter when land is nationalized and the state owns it exclusively. It demonstrates the inconsistency between state land laws and traditional land tenure patterns, along with their effects on gender-equitable access to and ownership of land.

Paper long abstract:

The focus of this paper is the gendered dimensions of the land question in Eritrea. Control over and ownership of land implies power dynamics on the economic, social, and political levels of society. Historically, women have been suppressed from economic, social, and political power by various customs and patriarchal institutions still present in many societies. However, women’s land access and control raise their status in their communities and can help shape women’s identity as producers, productive and deserving members of their families, and their communities. Therefore, addressing ongoing socio-economic imbalances requires examining how land issues related to women's land ownership and labour exploitation. Several studies have examined the role that gendered land questions play in addressing the persistent socio-economic inequalities. This paper, however, examines how gender relations alter when land is nationalized and the state owns it exclusively. It demonstrates the inconsistency between state land laws and traditional land tenure patterns, along with their effects on gender-equitable access to and ownership of land. The paper explores the Eritrean land policy from this angle and argues why it hasn't led to more women having access to and control over their land. This raises concerns about how gendered land issues in Eritrea are changing the balance of economic and social power within the family and state.