Only 10 pc of women in rural India own land in their name: UN

Three reports were launched today ahead of International Rural Women's Day on October 15. The scoping research which was conducted on 504 women in 19 villages across four districts of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar also claimed that only 22 per cent of the families were aware of the Hindu Succession Act that allows women to inherit property.

"In India close to 86 per cent of all rural women depend on agriculture for survival, but only 10 per cent own land. Land is a crucial economic asset for women in poor rural communities," said said Anne Stenhammer, Regional Programme Director, UN Women South Asia.

"No land documents, a wide literacy gap and a patriarchal society are just some of the challenges women face when it comes to claiming the land in their own name," a release by UN Women said.

The report also mentions issues being faced by women in the process of claiming lands.

"87 per cent of the women claim that their husbands did not want them to own land. In 57 per cent of cases culture and religion were important barriers and only 12 per cent of women respondents say they have or believe that they will inherit land from their parents," it said.

UN Women is dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.