‘Women’s property ownership increases, but still lags behind men’s ‘

AMMAN — The percentage of women owning land and apartments increased by 15.8 per cent between 2012 and 2015, compared to 51.3 per cent for men during the same period, a Sisterhood Is Global Institute (SIGI) statement said on Monday, citing Department of Statistics figures. 

The figures showed that in terms of land ownership, women own 9.9 per cent of land, while men own 69.7 per cent. 

Women own 23 per cent of apartments while men own 60.9 per cent; furthermore, women own 22.2 per cent of apartment spaces while men own 70.5 per cent, according to SIGI. 

Joint ownership by men and women increased to 32.9 per cent for land and 16 per cent for apartments.

The figures show that ownership of land and real estate by women increased over the three years at varying rates, SIGI said, adding that a 2012 report by the statistics department showed that women own 18.8 per cent of apartments, while men own 75.5 per cent, with joint possession standing at 6.7 per cent. 

Rates of land ownership were even less, as women owned only 8.2 per cent, men owned 81.3 per cent and shared land between men and women stood at 10.5 per cent. 

SIGI said that women’s economic empowerment is not limited to having them participate in economic activity, but also extends to their ability to spend their money freely and be able to own real estates and land, in order to secure futures for themselves and their families, especially in case where they are divorced, widowed, abandoned or become the only head of the family.