Resource information
This paper provides a brief overview of
the intersection of state and customary laws governing land
in peri-urban settlements around Honiara, focusing on their
impact upon landowners, particularly women landowners. It
suggests that the intersection of customary and state legal
systems allows a small number of individuals, predominantly
men, to solidify their control over customary land. This has
occurred to the detriment of many landowners, who have often
found themselves excluded from both decision-making
processes and the distribution of financial benefits from
the use of land. This contributes to social conflict and
undermines the legitimacy of land dealings, and as the
tensions demonstrate, can ultimately lead to violent conflict.
