Customary Land Dispossession and the Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Widows in Rural Southern Zambia

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 273–280

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001282

Article Type: Original Research Article

Title: Customary Land Dispossession and the Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Widows in Rural Southern Zambia

Names of Authors: Dr. Mutinta M. Mwamba¹, Prof. Beatrice K. Mubanga¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract:
Despite progressive national land reforms designed to protect gender equity, rural women remain highly vulnerable to asset dispossession. This study evaluates the socio-economic drivers and long-term impacts of property grabbing targeting widows under customary land tenure systems in Zambia's Southern Province. Using a mixed-methods structural design, researchers collected data from 400 widows alongside 20 key informant interviews with traditional headmen and statutory magistrates. The quantitative regression metrics demonstrate that 78% of the surveyed widows experienced immediate land or asset dispossession by male in-laws following their husband's death. Customary practices prioritize patriarchal lineage preservation, rendering statutory legal protections completely ineffective in rural communities. The empirical data show a strong positive correlation between land dispossession and household food insecurity, with affected widow-headed households exhibiting a 55% lower nutritional index score (p < 0.01). Qualitative narratives reveal that widows who seek formal legal remedies face severe social sanctions, including public shaming, physical eviction, and witchcraft accusations by village elders. Traditional headmen view independent female land titles as subversions of ancestral heritage. The study argues that top-down legislation will fail without deep institutional transformations inside local customary councils. We recommend legally binding traditional courts to statutory human rights charters, implementing mobile paralegal programs for rural widows, and criminalizing property-grabbing behaviors.

Keywords: Property Grabbing, Customary Law, Widows, Economic Security, Land Ownership, Zambia

Manuscript Timeline: Received: March 05, 2026; Revised: May 24, 2026; Accepted: June 28, 2026; Published: August 31, 2026.

Citation: Mwamba, M. M., & Mubanga, B. K. (2026). Customary Land Dispossession and the Socio-Economic Vulnerability of Widows in Rural Southern Zambia. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(9), 273–280. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001282

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