Why is land productivity lower on land rented out by female landlords?

Theory and evidence from Ethiopia.

This paper seeks to find explanations to why land productivity is lower on land rented out by female landlord households than on land rented out by male landlord households in the Ethiopian highlands. The authors find that female landlords have tenants who are older, own less oxen, are more related, and under longer-term contracts.

Stein Holden and Mintewab Bezabih | March 2009

The authors show how female landlords may be forced to rent their land to their inlaws and they are unable to evict them even if they are inefficient land users.

The following conclusions are identified:

  • Female landlords face higher tenure insecurity and have lower bargaining power. This leads to poorer screening and selection ability, poorer quality tenants and lower resource rents
  • Strengthening women's land rights may not only be good for equity but also for efficiency of land use
  • There is a new regulation that only up to half of the land owned can be rented out. At present it is often violated however if this regulation is implemented strongly, it will contribute to more tenure insecurity for the poorest landlords that often are female-headed households.

Produced by: Department of Economics and Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (2008)

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