Exploring and Assessing STDM and LADM for gender equitable land administration

International laws and frameworks such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its defined Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), together with the Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security (VGGTs) are key global cornerstones in the protection of women’s land rights and enabler for women to get land rights. Land rights for women is an issue that is linked to broader issues across geographical regions and cultural and religious differences. The SDGs specifically target women’s land and property rights in ending poverty (target 1.4), achieving food security (target 2.3) and ensuring gender equality (target 5a). To achieve these goals and to act according to these global policies, namely, to have equal land rights for women and men, land ownership and land use records need to include both genders. Though, in many countries, such records are non-existent or not up to date or do not show the reality on the ground. As a result, women are often passed over by the government during tenure recordation processes.