What’s Hers Isn’t Mine: Gender-Differentiated Tenure Security, Agricultural Investments, and Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

Martin Limbikani Mwale and Jacob Ricker-Gilbert

Economic Development and Cultural Change, 2026, vol. 74, issue 2, 607 - 637

Abstract: This study examines how gender-differentiated inheritance patterns affect maize productivity and soil fertility investments in Malawi. Using 2019 nationally representative data and an instrumental variable based on proximity to the Livingstonia Mission, we find that male plot managers in matrilineal systems have lower yields and invest less in soil fertility than their female counterparts and patrilineal men. The threat of land reclamation by in-laws may disincentivize investment. These findings highlight the complex gender dynamics of land tenure and underscore the need for nuanced agricultural policy to support sustainable intensification.

Date: 2026
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