Equal access to property rights index (Quality of land administration index - Doing Business)

The equal access to property rights index has two components:

• Whether unmarried men and unmarried women have equal ownership rights to property. A score of -1 is assigned if there are unequal ownership rights to property; 0 if there is equality.
• Whether married men and married women have equal ownership rights to property. A score of -1 is assigned if there are unequal ownership rights to property; 0 if there is equality.

Ownership rights cover the ability to manage, control, administer, access, encumber, receive, dispose of and transfer property. Each restriction is considered if there is a differential treatment for men and women in the law considering the default marital property regime. For customary land systems, equality is assumed unless there is a general legal provision stating a differential treatment.

The index ranges from -2 to 0, with higher values indicating greater inclusiveness of property rights.

In Mali, for example, unmarried men and unmarried women have equal ownership rights to property (a score of 0). The same applies to married men and women who can use their property in the same way (a score of 0). Adding these numbers gives Mali a score of 0 on the equal access to property rights index—which indicates equal property rights between men and women. On the contrary in Tonga, unmarried men and unmarried women do not have equal ownership rights to property according to the Land Act [Cap 132], Sections 7, 45 and 82 (a score of -1). The same applies to married men and women who are not permitted to use their property in the same way according to the Land Act [Cap 132], Sections 7, 45 and 82 (a score of -1). Adding these numbers gives Tonga a score of -2 on the equal access to property rights index—which indicates unequal property rights between men and women.

Read more about the "Equal access to property rights index Methodology"