Women and Land in Africa: The Cost of Corruption in Ghana and Zimbabwe

In the spring of 2016, a team of six SIPA students undertook a study on gender, corruption, and land administration in Ghana and Zimbabwe. Under the client Transparency International (TI), the students’ research contributed to TI’s broader “Women and Land in Africa” project, and the growing body of literature at the intersection of these three topics. While findings were nuanced by country, generally students found that there is a gendered knowledge gap that contributes to women being disproportionately affected by corruption, and that there is great dissonance between customary and statutory systems of land governance. Students recommended that TI strengthen coordination between grassroots organizations to promote women’s education and empowerment, and advocate for the harmonization of land governance systems.