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Why I am passionate about Landesa’s mission:
Having worked extensively in the rural context, I understand the power of owning a piece of land, especially for a woman. It can help her assert herself as an individual and give her strength to combat various forms of violence and exclusion in her life.
About Shipra
Shipra Deo is the Global Gender and Land Advisor at Landesa, where she leads efforts to strengthen women’s land rights and promote long-term social impact. Her work spans partnerships with governments, nonprofits, and community organisations in India and around the world. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a strategic, practical approach to strengthening women’s land rights and creating long-term social impact.
At Landesa, Shipra focuses on gender analysis of land laws and policies, supports gender-responsive land governance at national and state levels, and builds the capacity of teams to integrate gender and inclusion into their work. As a key member of Landesa’s Global Center for Women’s Land Rights, Shipra contributes to shaping the organization’s gender strategy and strengthening its inclusive culture.
Education
- MA in Gender and Development
- M.Sc in Environmental Sciences
- B.Sc honors in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
Selected Publications
Select Blogs
- The chaos of gendered language and land – a lesson from cricket. Hindustan Times. August 2022
- Land rights of women are a key to break the gender bias. Future of Earth. March 2022
- Despite courts, the plot is against daughters: too few women inherit land in India, states are reluctant to implement laws. The Times of India, Feb 2022
- If we are not talking about a daughter’s right to inherit land, we are missing something foundational. AVPN, November 2021
- Inheritance of agricultural land by women: there is distance yet to travel. Live Law, October 2021
- The road to resilience in a post covid world: stronger land rights for women. Asian Venture Philanthropy Network. June 2021
- Why are Tribal Women in India still robed of their land rights. Thompson Reuters Foundation News, March 2021
- Rituals of marriage create untold suffering for millions of widows in India. The Future of Earth, Nov 2020
- With a historical legal decision, India marks progress towards equal inheritance rights for daughters. Land Portal, August 2020.
- We need to recognize women as independent individuals: review all land laws with a gender lens. The Times of India (edit page), April 2020
- The name game: how women get erased in rural India. Thompson Reuters Foundation, October 2020
- Daughter’s inheritance rights in Uttar Pradesh. Hindustan Times, August 2019
- Millions of Indian Farmers benefit from formalized land leasing laws. Thompson Reuters Foundation, October 2019
- Why Women Farmers Deserve a Right to Identity. Skoll Foundation, October 2019
- Marriage or Inheritance: Strange Choice Before Daughters of Uttar Pradesh. Land Portal, October 2019
- Rural Women: Celebrating the Culture of Courage. Women’s Advancement Deeply, October 2018
- Property rights are key to women’s empowerment reforms. The Hindu, June 2017
Books and Papers:
- Shipra Deo and Robert Mitchell. ‘Land and Violence in the Lives of Tribal Women’, 2025
- Shipra Deo. ‘This is not your home: Land Rights of Tribal Women in Jharkhand’. Landesa Research Paper. 2020.
- Shipra Deo. ‘Gender Inequality in Inheritance: The Case of Agricultural Land in India’, Landesa Research Paper. 2019.
- Shipra Deo and Ashok Khandelwal. ‘Women in Agriculture: Breaking the Grass Ceiling’, Aakar Publications, New Delhi. 2013, reprinted in 2024.
Podcasts:
Areas of Expertise
Policy and Governance
- Supporting fair and equal land rights for women
- Reviewing laws and policies to make them more gender-responsive
- Helping governments and programs include gender consciousness in their work
Programs and Field Work
- Designing and managing programs that support women and communities
- Supporting development led by local communities
- Encouraging people’s participation in planning and decisions
Training and Support
- Leading trainings on gender and inclusion
- Building women’s confidence, leadership and collective strength
- Helping teams and groups do better on gender issues
International Experience
- Armenia
- Bangladesh
- Ethiopia
- India
- Kenya
- Tajikistan
