Supporting Women’s Land Rights and Strengthening Their Economic Role to Improve Recovery, Rebuilding, And Long-Term Development After Disasters in Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigates the critical role of women's land rights in shaping post disaster recovery, rebuilding and long term economic development in Pakistan. Recurrent natural disasters, including floods and earthquake disproportionately affect women due to entrenched gender inequalities in land ownership and access to resources. Using a mixed methods approach comprising surveys of 300 disaster affected women across Sindh, Punjab and KP in depth interviews with 30 stakeholders and policy analysis the study examines how tenure security influences rebuilding speed, income restoration access to credit and empowerment. Findings reveal that women with formal or joint land titles experience faster reconstruction greater economic resilience and improved participation in household and community decision making while landless women face prolonged recovery and exclusion from aid. The study also highlights persistent cultural, legal and bureaucratic barriers, emphasizing the need for joint titling, digitized land records gender sensitive aid and awareness campaigns. Strengthening women's land rights emerges as a trans formative strategy for equitable , resilient and sustainable post disaster development.