ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE FOR GENDER EQUALITY

Property is universal and the rights to property is a complex weave of culture and economy that overlaps facets of the
law and the state. Ownership of property would mean a concrete inalienable, economic and social rights. It would
entail exclusivity and usufructuary capacities and thus holds and confers power to the owner thereby enhancing their
bargaining power in societies. Effective rights in property is a critical determinant of women's socio economic and
political empowerment. This is primarily because ownership and effective control over property means command over
productive resources (like land,) and liquefiable assets (like gold and silver), which enables women the ability to
bargain and choose the life they wish to lead while providing them the buffer against poverty and deprivation. However,
this path to autonomy and self-determination is not well paved as there continues to be an unequal and differential
access and control over resources for women and men, especially over productive resources like land.