Gender equality has become an integral part of policies in poor developing countries. The perspective of women's rights as a human right not to be refuted by culture or political majority decision-making is rather new. In addition to being an aim in itself, gender equality seems to increase...

The Tumbuka are normally described as patrilineal where inheritance of property including land, cattle and village headmanship is from father to son. There is evidence that initially the Tumbuka were matrilineal. In this society, village heads are normally men, and land and other property are...