As of 2019, women made up 39.10% of Nepal’s 10.9 million landowners. In 2021, 23.80% of households in Nepal had land or a house registered under a female household member. After the new constitution in 2015, there is a 25-50% discount on the registration fee when the land is registered under a woman’s name. In 2018, a new civil code established that daughters are entitled to keep their share of their parents property after getting married. That means equal rights for sons and daughters. After a divorce women are also entitled to their husband’s share of property, if the divorce is the husband’s fault. The Land Act in 2021 brought more guarantees for equal land access. This brings a positive change. In a patriarchal country like Nepal, access to land is fundamental to women’s empowerment. Land rights bring security, independence and confidence, which together enable women to become active in all social and political arenas. Women’s ownership of land encourages men to view women as equals, which is shown to give women more decision making power in their households and decrease domestic violence (UN Habitat).
