This briefing paper examines the importance of women’s land and property rights in the contexts of HIV and AIDS, violence against women, and food security. Land and property rights increase women’s autonomy—decreasing their dependence on men and entrapment in abusive relationships, enabling greater control over sexual relations, and improving their ability to produce food for themselves and their families. This paper examines where and how these rights are protected under international human rights standards and offers strategies to help women effectively claim and enforce their rights.