Our findings raise an important question: What are the long-term economic and human costs of agri-food systems built on women’s unpaid farm labor? It’s time to rethink the sustainability of these systems and recognize the need for policies that support women’s transition into paid work.

Reforms in India that granted women equal land inheritance rights led to:
✅ Increased migration among women for education and employment
✅ Higher female labor force participation in urban, non-agricultural sectors

These laws:
⛓ Keep women tied to unpaid agricultural work
🚫 Restrict access to education
💍 Drive marriage-based migration from rural to urban areas

We look at a persistent puzzle: why growth alone isn’t enough to increase paid employment for women in the Global South.
Using cross-country panel data and a case study from India, we find that gender-discriminatory land inheritance laws are a key barrier.