Factors Influencing Gender Inequality in Land and Property Ownership Among Peri-Urban Women in Minna, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the factors influencing gender inequality in land and property ownership among peri-urban women in Minna, Nigeria. The data for this study came from 622 women in 12 peri-urban localities of the 25 neighborhoods in Minna, Nigeria. A closed-ended questionnaire was administered by field assistants with the aid of mobile data collection application called kobotool. Descriptive statistics such as frequency count and proportion methods were used in describing the respondents’ socio-demographic patterns, level of ownership, and mode of acquisition. Inferential statistical techniques were also employed to analyze the data collected for the study such as chi-square and relative importance index. The chi-square test examined whether the underlying socio-demographic/economic characteristics of the two groups of respondents (Women without Property ownership and Women with Property ownership) are independent in terms of the level of property ownership. The study identified among others religious beliefs and orientations and Economic and financial constraints with relative importance index of 0.7412 and 0.7218 respectively, as the core factors constituting obstacles to women access to land/property among the respondents. The study recommends legislation from the state house of assembly on gender inclusion on issues relating to religious belief, Economic and financial empowerments in the study areas.