Certified to Stay ? Long-Run Experimental Evidence on Land Formalization and Widows’ Tenure Security in Benin

Ioana Alexandra Botea, Markus Goldstein, Kenneth Houngbedji, Florence Kondylis, Michael B. O'Sullivan and Harris Selod
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Kenneth Houngbedji: DIAL - Développement, institutions et analyses de long terme, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Harris Selod: CREST - Centre de Recherche en Économie et Statistique - ENSAI - Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Analyse de l'Information [Bruz] - GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique - X - École polytechnique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - ENSAE Paris - École Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Économique - GENES - Groupe des Écoles Nationales d'Économie et Statistique - IP Paris - Institut Polytechnique de Paris - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

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Abstract: In settings where women's land rights are informal, the death of a husband can severely limit a widow's access to land and her ability to remain in her home -- especially in the absence of a male heir. This paper examines whether large-scale land formalization programs can improve widows' land access. Using data from a randomized controlled trial in rural Benin, the analysis finds that widows in villages with land formalization are more likely to stay in their homes four years after the program, with the strongest effects among those without a male heir. The paper identifies two key mechanisms: enhanced community recognition of women's land rights and greater decision-making power over land resources. These findings highlight the potential of land formalization to strengthen women's tenure security and promote their long-term economic stability in similar settings.

Keywords: Gender; Widowhood; Intra-householdinsurance; Land administration; Property rights (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01-08
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-05448786

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