Brief project paper : women’s access to land and their household bargaining power; a comparative action research project in patrilineal and matrilineal societies in Malawi

Land is the primary resource in livelihoods and food security in rural Malawi where communal / customary tenure systems predominate. The research reveals that even in matrilineal society where women own land, it is the man who makes crucial decisions. Customary practices and statutory law should to take into account both women’s and men’s land requirements. In cases where statutory laws fail, customary laws ought to enable women to negotiate their land rights, such as asserting the rights of widows to secure land because of the lobola (bride wealth) paid. Interventions would encompass raising awareness of women regarding their rights while also tackling issues of masculinity