Over the last ten years, Peru’s agricultural sector has grown 4 percent annually, benefitting from better agricultural health and increased international demand for fruits, vegetables and other non-traditional agricultural commodities (IDB, 2010). Peruvian women’s participation in the sector is also significant. Peru’s Country Profile in the Gender and Land Rights Database indicates that women’s employment in agriculture reached 33.4 percent in 2006; however, the new agricultural census, CENAGRO IV, will provide a more accurate picture of women’s role in the sector.
The legislation pertaining land in Peru is largely gender-neutral. While the laws and regulations do not discriminate against women in their content, their lack of gender-sensitivity is likely to result in a biased implementation that favours men over women. This phenomenon is coupled with customary practices and social factors such as illiteracy that tend to subjugate women and restrict their ability to own land. Peru is an interesting case of successful cooperation between civil society organisations and programme implementers working together to secure women’s land rights. At the end of the 90’s, civil society groups engaged in a major media campaign that advocated for a more gender-sensitive implementation of the Special Land Titling and Cadastre Project (PETT), one that both observed and promoted women’s land rights. In 2007 the project was merged with the Commission on Formalisation of Informal Property (COFOPRI). This discussion aims to shed some light on the current situation of titling in Peru, the degree of gender-sensitivity of the titling procedures and programmes and identify the next steps in enhancing women’s land rights and livelihoods in agriculture.
Questions for the forum
1. What is the current situation of titling in Peru?
- Persisting challenges in securing women’s land rights?
- Public institutions and competences in individual land titling: are there any gaps and overlaps? What are the possible strategies, mechanisms for a better articulation between competences over titling?
- How gender-sensitive is the current implementation of the titling procedures/programmes? How can this be improved? What is the role of civil society? What are the lessons learnt from PETT and how are they influencing the current situation?
2. What is the added value of a land title for female producers? Does it lead to a general or specific improvement of their situation? (Within the household, in relation to agricultural investments, income etc)
3. Options for securing women’s access to land in Peru?
- What other complementary services or synergies with other programs should be enhanced to ensure that titling and land ownership foster women’s empowerment?
- Joint-titling is an option given in several registration programmes around the world; however, it does not always have the same impact towards increasing titles in women’s names. What other features, besides raising awareness, are needed to promote joint-titling?
- What should be done in contexts where joint-titling cannot be applied, or is prohibited by custom?
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Image: ©IFAD/Pablo Corral Vega
