Towards gender-equitable land policy and lawmaking in the Mekong Region

Truly gender equitable land policies and laws require equal say for all in shaping the legislation that will affect their rights and access to land. Numerical parity among men and women has long been considered the standard for gender equality in consultations around policy and legal drafting. Not only is this rarely achieved in practice, but it is also clearly not sufficient. A paradigm shift is needed towards inclusive consultative spaces that incorporate the whole spectrum of gendered views and knowledge while challenging and breaking down structural inequality. This study brought together a regional team of experts to probe existing infrastructure and mechanisms for gender equitable consultations in the context of land policies and laws in in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. It provides a comprehensive analysis of barriers to gender equity and policy recommendations at national and regional levels to transform the way policies and laws incorporate the perceptions and needs of women and men.