Alternative Approaches to Africa's Development

Gender is a crosscutting theme in development, hence its topical character in national, regional, and international contexts. Globally, calls, frameworks, and platforms for gender equity and parity are increasing heralding a shift in governance and development theory and practice. Within the ambit of understanding gender in an African context, the chapter considers land reform as an alternative development strategy and interrogates gender issues emanating prior to, during and in the aftermath of the fast-tracked land reform programme. Redistributive land reform, complemented by focused support to the land beneficiaries, is an alternative development and empowerment approach for both men and women, and mostly for the majority of women who have been largely marginalised from mainstream development.