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Cited by 43Land Rights and ReformsFood Security and Socioeconomic DynamicsAgriculture, Land Use, Rural Development

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Gendered effects of land access and ownership on food security in rural settings in South Africa

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Masuku, Mfundo Mandla, Mthembu, Zinhle, Mlambo, Victor H.·2023·Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
DOI 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1158946
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Abstract

South Africa is one of the many countries that experience critical challenges regarding land issues, with rural women in particular having limited access to and ownership of land. This paper argues that land inaccessibility for women contributes significantly to their deprivation of economic opportunities. Secondary data on women and land ownership were extracted from main sources such as peer-reviewed articles and government gazettes. In the execution of this study, a comprehensive literature review (CLR) was conducted to illuminate the topic under investigation. The three phases (the exploration phase, the interpretative phase, and the communicative phase) of the comprehensive literature review method were adopted. The result of the review suggests that the gendered nature of land distribution contributes to the phenomenon of food insecurity that faces numerous women and their households in rural areas. The customary law is a key institutional factor that poses challenges for rural women in acquiring equal access to land ownership compared to men. The study recommends that the South African government should formulate better land policies that provide equal access to and ownership of land for both men and women.

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Metadata

Authors
Masuku, M. M., Mthembu, Z., & Mlambo, V. H.
Affiliations
  • University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
  • University of Zululand (ZA)
Corresponding author
Masuku, Mfundo Mandla
ORCID
Venue
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
Publisher
Frontiers Media SA
Published
2023-08-24
Volume
7
ISSN
2571-581X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3389/fsufs.2023.1158946
OpenAlex
W4386126113
Cited by
43
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 1
FWCI
6.40
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Land Rights and Reforms
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Security and Socioeconomic Dynamics
  • Social Sciences › Development › Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
Keywords
gender, land access, land ownership, food security, rural women, customary law, land policy, South Africa, women's economic opportunities

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Gendered effects of land access and ownership on food security in rural settings in South Africa. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1158946
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Masuku, M. M., Mthembu, Z., & Mlambo, V. H. (2023). Gendered effects of land access and ownership on food security in rural settings in South Africa. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1158946