Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications

This paper examines the equity implications of the evolution of land rights from communal land tenure to individualization in customary land areas in Western Sumatra. This brief sets forth policy implications: Preference for sons in the inheritance of agroforestry area in the Low Region may be expla...

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Autores principales: Quisumbing, Agnes R., Otsuka, Keijiro
Formato: Brief
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 1998
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161234
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author Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Otsuka, Keijiro
author_browse Otsuka, Keijiro
Quisumbing, Agnes R.
author_facet Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Otsuka, Keijiro
author_sort Quisumbing, Agnes R.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper examines the equity implications of the evolution of land rights from communal land tenure to individualization in customary land areas in Western Sumatra. This brief sets forth policy implications: Preference for sons in the inheritance of agroforestry area in the Low Region may be explained by the intensive use of male labor in rubber production; in contrast, both paddy cultivation and cinnamon cultivation in the Middle Region use both male and female family labor relatively equally. The inheritance system seems to be evolving from a strictly matrilineal system to a more egalitarian system in which sons and daughters inherit the type of land which is more intensive in their own work effort. That is, the newly-emerging customary land tenure institutions, by allowing for inheritance consistent with comparative advantage and work effort, seem to have built-in incentives for men and women. The persistent gender gap in schooling, however, needs to be addressed. Even if daughters continue to have independent land rights, lower levels of education make them less likely to benefit from nonagricultural income earning opportunities...Investing in the education of both sons and daughters would thus be part of a long-term solution to rural poverty and environmental sustainability in these areas.
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spelling CGSpace1612342025-02-19T14:00:45Z Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications Quisumbing, Agnes R. Otsuka, Keijiro land tenure agroforestry gender relations right to property rice production rubber industry cinnamon industry education educational equalization poverty rural areas labour gender property rights child care This paper examines the equity implications of the evolution of land rights from communal land tenure to individualization in customary land areas in Western Sumatra. This brief sets forth policy implications: Preference for sons in the inheritance of agroforestry area in the Low Region may be explained by the intensive use of male labor in rubber production; in contrast, both paddy cultivation and cinnamon cultivation in the Middle Region use both male and female family labor relatively equally. The inheritance system seems to be evolving from a strictly matrilineal system to a more egalitarian system in which sons and daughters inherit the type of land which is more intensive in their own work effort. That is, the newly-emerging customary land tenure institutions, by allowing for inheritance consistent with comparative advantage and work effort, seem to have built-in incentives for men and women. The persistent gender gap in schooling, however, needs to be addressed. Even if daughters continue to have independent land rights, lower levels of education make them less likely to benefit from nonagricultural income earning opportunities...Investing in the education of both sons and daughters would thus be part of a long-term solution to rural poverty and environmental sustainability in these areas. 1998 2024-11-21T09:54:19Z 2024-11-21T09:54:19Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161234 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Otsuka, Keijiro. 1998. Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra;efficiency and equity implications. Gender and Forest Resource Management: A Comparative Study in Selected Areas of Asia and Africa -- Policy Brief. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161234
spellingShingle land tenure
agroforestry
gender relations
right to property
rice production
rubber industry
cinnamon industry
education
educational equalization
poverty
rural areas
labour
gender
property rights
child care
Quisumbing, Agnes R.
Otsuka, Keijiro
Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications
title Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications
title_full Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications
title_fullStr Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications
title_full_unstemmed Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications
title_short Individualization of land rights and gender-differentiated inheritance in matrilineal Sumatra: efficiency and equity implications
title_sort individualization of land rights and gender differentiated inheritance in matrilineal sumatra efficiency and equity implications
topic land tenure
agroforestry
gender relations
right to property
rice production
rubber industry
cinnamon industry
education
educational equalization
poverty
rural areas
labour
gender
property rights
child care
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161234
work_keys_str_mv AT quisumbingagnesr individualizationoflandrightsandgenderdifferentiatedinheritanceinmatrilinealsumatraefficiencyandequityimplications
AT otsukakeijiro individualizationoflandrightsandgenderdifferentiatedinheritanceinmatrilinealsumatraefficiencyandequityimplications