Supporting Women's Economic Enfranchisement

Access to property, homes, and natural resource-based assets is fundamental to women's adequate standard of living, economic independence, and political empowerment. Lack of direct access to property can marginalize women who may be unable to leave abusive relationships, support their children, enter the market, or access credit, education and support services. Yet discriminatory property rights laws and androcentric customs have restricted women from ownership and control of property throughout history and continue today. In this book, the authors consider lessons for international social workers and others interested in addressing women's economic enfranchisement, specifically, their access to property using Akan (Ghana) widows as a case study.