The Role of Women’s Land Rights and Economic Participation in Post-Disaster Recovery and Sustainable Development in Pakistan

Abstract

The growing vulnerability of Pakistan to climate change-driven disasters has exacerbated existing levels of inequality among its citizens, especially in terms of women’s rights to land and economic participation. Having comprised a significant proportion of the rural demographic, women’s restricted rights to ownership of land have been largely responsible for restricting disaster recovery efforts. The paper aims to investigate the role of women’s rights to land in terms of economic participation and recovery in flood-hit areas of Pakistan. Employing a mixed methodology, this study will test the hypothesis using propensity score matching as well as employing multi-level regression analysis on survey responses from Sindh and Punjab provinces among 500 households in addition to conducting in-depth interviews among women entrepreneurs. The paper will show that women who own land are capable of restoring their economic output more quickly than their Non-Land-Owning counterparts. The study will conclude by asserting that supporting women’s rights to land is an important policy agenda within Disaster Recovery and sustainable development in Pakistan.