ABSTRACT
The chapter begins by examining indigenous attitudes toward land and its use in two rural locations–Mutira in Central Province and Chwele in Western Province—using household production as a means of analysis. It reviews significant land tenure policies at the national level that have proved detrimental to women’s historical usufruct rights. The chapter discusses the impact of land registration in Mutira and Chwele, and the resulting changes in women’s production. It describes marital status as a key factor in determining women’s access to and control of land using illustrative case studies. The chapter deals with recommendations for achieving women’s land security in Kenya. Any assessment of women’s current relation to land and agriculture in Chwele and Mutira, must first take into account historical antecedents that shaped present policies. Solutions to women’s lack of tenure security require decisions at the national level that put into practice laws that guarantee a woman’s right to inherit land as a daughter.
