Kritika Saxena wins prestigious Veni Grant for her research on women’s land rights and economic agency in Rwanda

Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Groningen and CoRE IPD member, Dr. Kritika Saxena, has received a Veni grant of €320,000 from the Dutch Research Council (NWO) for her research on women’s land rights and economic agency in Rwanda.

Investigating the impact of land rights on women’s empowerment 

Kritika Saxena’s research focuses on applied microeconomics, impact evaluation, and gender. It examines how policies and cultural contexts shape women's empowerment and demographic outcomes in developing countries. Her Veni project investigates whether legal ownership of land translates into genuine economic agency for women. “For centuries across Africa, women farmed land they were excluded from owning” Kritika explains. “In 2009 Rwanda made an ambitious attempt to change this, granting formal land titles nationwide and allowing women to inherit and own land for the first time. Yet women's reported land ownership has since declined sharply. This project asks whether these formal rights translate into lasting economic empowerment and real decision-making power over land, or whether traditional norms reassert control over time. Combining household surveys, administrative land records, and satellite data, the research traces this question across more than a decade of reform. Findings will inform land governance and gender policy in Rwanda, across Sub-Saharan Africa, and within Dutch development cooperation.”    

From research to policy impact

Over the next four years, Kritika will investigate these questions, contributing to both scientific understanding and policy design. Kritika says: “Scientifically, I want to understand whether formal legal reform can produce lasting change, or whether informal norms simply adapt around it over time. This speaks to a broader question in institutional economics that goes well beyond Rwanda. Practically, I hope the findings help refine how land reforms are designed, both in Rwanda and in other African countries pursuing similar policies, and inform Dutch development cooperation on land governance and women's empowerment.”

Veni grant

Veni grants are intended for newly promoted researchers, to fund innovative scientific research and thereby give these researchers the opportunity to develop as independent researchers. Alongside the Vidi and Vici grants, the Veni grant is part of the NWO Talent Programme. Within this programme, researchers are free to submit their own topics for funding.

The project aligns closely with CoRE IPD's mission to generate evidence that informs policies aimed at reducing inequality and promoting gender equity and inclusive development. On behalf of the entire cluster, we congratulate Kritika on this well-deserved achievement and wish her all the best with her research project.