New Delhi, 7 September 2026: Land is not just a place for agriculture and residence, but it is a major basis of economic security, ability to take loans and decision-making power in the family. However, in developing countries including Pakistan and India, the situation of land ownership among women seems to be very pathetic and unbalanced. According to the recent report of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), the economic and social status of women in Pakistan is extremely backward.
According to SDPI survey, only 2 percent of married women in Pakistan aged between 15 to 49 years own land in sole or joint name. The surprising thing is that 97.2 percent women have admitted that they have not inherited any land or house. In Pakistan, 67% of women work in agriculture, yet only 1.5 percent of households are formally registered as female-headed. The situation is especially bad in Sindh province, where 99.1 percent women do not own land. There is also a big gap between digital and banking sectors; In Pakistan, only 14 percent women have a bank account compared to 56 percent men.
The condition of women in India is relatively better than that of Pakistan, but the extent of gender discrimination is large here too. According to the World Bank's Gender Data Portal, in 2021, 9.5 percent of Indian women aged 15 to 49 owned land in their own name alone, while among men this figure was 29.7 percent. According to the National Family Health Survey, in India, 31.7 percent of women and 42.3 percent of men owned land (single or joint), while the number of women in household ownership was 42.3 percent and 60.1 percent of men. Thus, in this global comparison India's position is approximately 8 times better than Pakistan.
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Land ownership picture in other countries of the world
Indonesia (2017): 12.7 percent
Nepal (2022): 9.7 percent
Ethiopia (2016): 15.2 percent
Philippines (2022): 1.4 percent
Armenia (2016): 1.6 percent
Jordan (2023): 3 percent
Malawi (2016): 36.6 percent (highest)
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Steps taken by Government of India for women empowerment
To increase the wealth and land ownership of women in India, the government has made a provision to allot houses in the name of women or in the joint name of husband and wife under 'Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana' (PMAY – Rural and Urban). Additionally, states have been instructed to include a 'gender column' in land records to make the identity of women owners more transparent. According to experts, land ownership is not just an asset, but it is a strong key to women's economic independence and security.