Publisher's Synopsis
This is a meticulously researched study of gender relations in terms of women's access to, and their ownership and control of, land. It focuses on Malay women's property relations, their implications for agricultural production, and their impact on peasant women's status - especially the very poor. The authors argue that a disregard for women's land rights has seriously distorted understanding of Malay agrarian systems. The way that land passes from generation to generation has to be taken into account, and also the part played by gender in inheritance patterns. The authors combine their original field material with historical background in producing their analysis.
