Land, Women and Development: A Systematic Review of Causal Evidence

Despite a growing literature on the social, economic, and environmental impacts of women's land rights in the Global South, findings remain heterogeneous across geographic areas, development outcomes and research methods. This review assesses the causal evidence on this topic to cut through this complexity, offering a clearer direction for policy and research. Adopting the PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews, it critically assesses the breadth of existing research through multiple analytical lenses: development outcomes, geographic coverage, publications' timeline and research methods. Particular focus is placed on identifying gaps that have persisted since an earlier review, incorporating emerging outcomes of interest, and tracing recent developments in the research agenda. Overall, greater consistency of findings emerges on food security, education, and specific areas of women's empowerment, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where women's land rights are connected to robust and positive impacts. More heterogeneous or scattered findings emerge on the remaining outcomes.