Munni Munda and her husband are both tea garden workers in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. The couple received joint title to a homestead plot in 2012, through a government program supported by Landesa.
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- The joint title meant that both Munni and her husband’s name were listed on the land title.
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- In India and elsewhere, women often access land through the rights of a male relative – a husband, father, or brother who holds the title to a parcel of land. Research has shown that granting a woman title to her own piece of land, or listing her name jointly on a land title with her husband, can empower her within the home and within her community.
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- For Munni, holding a joint land title with her husband has given her the confidence to assert herself within the household and have a voice in important decisions. That has meant being an advocate for her daughter’s continued education.
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- “Today, I have the confidence that I can support my daughter to continue her education,” says Munni, “and I can negotiate with my husband and other family members in case anybody wants to stop her education, as happened with me.”
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- “I want my daughter to continue her education until the level she wants, and I’ll never compel her to get married at an early age.”
