Gender and Property Rights
Critical Issues in the Context of SDG 5 with a Focus on Bangladesh
by Mohammad Jabbar

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On their list of 17 Sustainable Development Goals for all nations, the United Nations uses #5 “to achieve equality and empower all women and girls”. One of the nine targets under goal 5 is ‘gender equality in the ownership of productive assets, especially land, by 2030”. When it comes to achieving gender equality in developing countries like Bangladesh, women and men’s equal access to property is generally seen as a goal that is universally desirable. But what if this were a wholly inappropriate metric for measuring and achieving gender equality by 2030 across diverse situations in the developing world—and Bangladesh in particular? This is exactly the case author and development expert Mohammad Jabbar makes in this impressive, thoroughly researched work of non-fiction. Among other acute insights, he argues SDG target on gender equality is asset ownership by 2030 may be ill-suited for the rural Bangladeshi context because of . . . • The inappropriate use of the concept of “household” over that of “family” as a survey unit for measuring its attainment • The potential for the creation of superfluous junk statistics for monitoring progress that measure ownership and use rights not indicative of actual gender (in)equality • The general lack of understanding it displays of local laws, customs and norms of gender, inheritance, and other vital concepts related to asset ownership. Thoughtful in its conception and precise in its execution, this carefully argued piece of academic research is sure to make a useful—even necessary—addition to the bookshelves of anyone interested in development and gender equality, whether they be academics, policymakers, researchers, students, or laypeople.

http://www.majabbar.com/

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Reviewer quotes: “Gender equality is a well-recognized concern in understanding balanced growth and development. This book analyzes theoretical, methodological and practical issues regarding gender and asset ownership in diverse family systems, social structures, and land tenure systems across societies, with a focus on Bangladesh. This pioneering work will help enrich the understanding of the gender equality concept in terms of asset ownership.” - Dr. Shamsul Alam, Minister of State, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and Ex-Member, General Economics Division, Bangladesh Planning Commission. " Going against conventional thinking, this book challenges some of the mainstream ideas, concepts and methods related to gender and property relationships, and provokes new thoughts. An essential read for gender research, advocacy and development workers, especially in the developing countries - Professor Anwarullah Chowdhury, Founder Head of the Department of Anthropology and former Vice-Chancellor, the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh “A thorough analysis of the complexities of conceptualization, measurement and data generation on gender-based asset ownership in the developing countries. Coming from the critical mind of a highly experienced researcher, anyone interested in the subject will find it enriching and highly valuable.” - Professor Rezaul Karim Talukder, Former National Food Security Adviser, FAO-Bangladesh

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Mohammad Jabbar is a well-known agricultural economist, professor of economic theory and development policy, and gender, agriculture, and development researcher. After achieving bachelor and master of science degrees in agricultural economics in Bangladesh, he went on to achieve his doctoral degree in the same discipline in the UK. Having built up considerable knowledge in economic theory, development economics, and their relationship with both gender and agriculture throughout his career as a student, Jabbar went on to teach economic development and agricultural policy to both undergraduate and postgraduate students for nearly twenty years. After this, he entered an equally long and fruitful career working at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a centre of CGIAR (the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research), where he was involved in an extensive list of projects related to farming systems, resource management, land tenure, livestock economics and policy, gender and food security, and more. Though this is his first book, he has authored 83 peer reviewed journal articles and 182 other publications covering a wide range of topics related to agriculture, food policy and livestock development in Asia and Africa. Since his retirement from the ILRI in 2007, he has been living in Dhaka with his wife, Sultana. Contact email: MJabbar2@gmail.com LinkedIn address: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-jabbar-509376251/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JabbarMADr

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Mohammad Jabbar

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