This paper reviews the literature on women's empowerment and suggests supporting empowerment both as an end in itself and a way to educational, economical and health development. It begins with a discussion of the various conceptual frameworks of women's empowerment, and then examines the ways in which women's empowerment projects have been implemented and measured, ending by stressing the positive development outcomes of women's empowerment.

The importance of land to poor people’s livelihoods cannot be over emphasized. Land provides the foundation upon which people construct and maintain livelihoods. Consequently, secure access to land is a prerequisite for securing livelihoods. Women are the majority of the poor as they have limited access to social and economic resources. This increases their dependence on basic resources like land. The majority of women rely on a land based livelihood mainly as subsistence agricultural producers.

This publication discusses the linkages between agriculture and HIV/AIDS through three case studies (Uganda, Namibia and Zambia). It emphasises vulnerability of women and orphans with insecure property rights.

[From the executive summary] In 2002, through research involving 1 889 rural households in northern Namibia, southern Zambia and around Lake Victoria in Uganda, FAO’s Integrated Support to Sustainable Development and Food Security Programme (IP) explored the relationships among HIV/AIDS, gender, agricultural production, food security and rural livelihoods. [...]

Securing the rights of both women and men to land is essential for sustainable rural development, social equity and economic growth. Today women are the major agricultural producers at the household level. Yet their rights are often marginalized and can be lost in development projects unless gender-inclusive practices are implemented. This guide focuses on gender relations and how their structure may affect access to land.

The Gender, Land and Asset Survey (GLAS) is one of the first studies to undertake a quantitative and gendered assessment of men’s and women’s rights over assets – including ownership, documentation and degree of control over use, transfer and transactions – and the implications thereof.

This toolbox is based on materials developed for the International Land Coalition's project in Eastern and Southern Africa entitled "Securing Women's Access to Land: Linking Research and Action". The core of this project was action-oriented research carried out by partners in seven countries with a view to using research results in advocacy. The capacity-building activities to support partners included advocacy workshops on which this toolbox is based.

This is the report of a workshop held in Zimbabwe on HIV/AIDS and property rights women, with the aim of empowering widows at the grassroots level, as well as orphans affected by insecure property rights. The report makes recommendations on how to increase tenure security for women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

You can download this report from the FAO website.

This guide specifically seeks to promote women's reproductive rights in India but presents methods and specific participatory tools that can be adapted to other issues  and contexts, like women's land rights.

[From the FAO website] This training initiative provides a space to young women and girls to question and challange existing inequitable gender norms; promote positive constructs of gender and identity; improve their understanding about their body; their feelings and sexuality; and promote sexual and reproductive health.

The Pastoral Women’s Council (PWC) is a community-based organisation established in 1997 in Tanzania. It was founded to promote the development of Maasai pastoralist women and children by facilitating their access to education, health, social services and economic empowerment. It seeks to address women’s marginalisation in patriarchal Maasai culture, as well as the poverty among the Maasai that has long been underpinned by land access restrictions for pastoralists, hunters and gatherers.