Abstract
This study argues that unlike other parts of Africa where women are marginalized and excluded from accessing resources particularly land, women in Lesotho have been empowered through the Act that gives them access to land which had not been the case in the in the past decades. This has made women potential agents in driving the process of sustainable development in the urban echelon of Maseru. The specific objective of this study therefore is to show that women in Lesotho are important catalysts in the sustainable development of Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho. This has increased their ability not only to use land for settlement but also engaged in economic activities that contribute to Lesotho’s sustainable development. The study focused on three urban communities (Ha Foso, Sekamaneng, and Ha Matala) in Maseru. Purposeful sampling was engaged in selecting 80 female-headed households. It was discovered that women had both ownership and user rights of the land they occupied in their own capacity as household heads. The study has six sections: introduction, study objective, rationale, methodology, conceptual framework, study findings, conclusion.
Highlights
Most studies across Africa show that kinship relationships embedded in customary laws influence women’s access to land
Ha Foso community had a larger number of women owning land
The situation differs from other countries in sub-Saharan Africa where women only have rights to use the land and real rights are located elsewhere within their patriarchal lineage
Summary
Most studies across Africa show that kinship relationships embedded in customary laws influence women’s access to land. This affected the performance of women in engaging in only subsistence production rather than productive activities to generate more economic benefits for a better life. Today women in Lesotho are participating in the economy as entrepreneurs using land allocated to them. This indicates a reduction in marginalization and exclusion of women in accessing resources in the country which previously they had limited access to, an indication towards sustainable development. This paper intends to show this dilemma and suggests that this could be a good example for other countries to follow
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