Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Female Land Rights And Rural Household Incomes In Brazil, Paraguay And Peru, Carmen Diana Deere, Rosa Luz Durán, Merrilee Mardon, Tom Masterson

Economics Department Working Paper Series

This paper explores the determinants of female land rights and their impact on household income levels among owner-operated farms in Brazil, Paraguay and Peru. Previous studies in Latin America suggest that the gender of the household head is not a significant predictor of household income, not unsurprising given the ambiguities with which self-declared headship is associated. We hypothesize that female land rights, by increasing women’s options, are a positive determinant of household income, but given the disadvantages that they face as farmers, that their land rights will more likely impact upon off-farm rather than farm income. Regression analysis indicates that …