carefully designed policies strategies and projects can work within existing cultural norms through the public and private sectors in ways that benefit both women and men box specific recommendations for closing the gender gap in access to land rural labour markets financial services social capital and technology include the steps outlined below women have not always benefited from general land distribution and titling efforts however and in some cases have seen their customary rights eroded as formal rights have been extended to male heads of household many governments have attempted to strengthen womens tenure rights within marriage and as individuals but these efforts are often frustrated by a combination of legal and cultural practices that still favour men many countries in the region have instituted legal reforms that have strengthened married womens land rights but landtitling efforts have not always facilitated the practice of including both husbands and wives names this section is based on fao oh which provides an extensive review of the relevant literature