Colonial Legacies: Inherited Structures constrain Women’s Mobility, Economic Power, and Access to Rights

Exploitative governance structures and cultural impositions left by colonial powers have detrimentally impacted postcolonial societies. Women, in particular, have been disproportionately affected by these legacies through restrictive gender roles, limited economic opportunities, and constrained social mobility—challenges that persist today. Colonial powers reinforced patriarchal structures to maintain social control, creating a framework that marginalizes women. Colonial regimes introduced systems that redefined gender roles which exacerbated existing inequalities. From the 15th century onward, the European colonial project constructed hierarchies based on race, religion, and gender. Women were enslaved, systematically excluded from the traditional definition of citizenship, and reduced to the role of reproduction and labor. During that time, the commodification of female bodies became central to colonial economies known as “colonial traffic in women.” Another significant factor in subjugating the status of women was the European model of the bourgeois nuclear family in which they were confined to private spaces, their contributions dismissed and discredited as “non-work,” and their roles primarily defined by reproduction and domestic care. Simultaneously, citizenship in colonial and postcolonial settings was also gendered, granting privileges to white, male property owners. Women of colonized regions were often denied access to property and inheritance rights and public participation, reinforcing their lower social and economic standing. This essay explores how inherited colonial structures constrain women’s mobility, economic power, and access to rights by analyzing the durable legal, economic, and social systems rooted in colonialism, perpetuating inequality and limited progress.

Colonial legal frameworks systematically excluded women from formal systems of power prioritizing male authority while subordinating women’s agency. Under British colonial rule in Africa and South Asia, in matters of land ownership, inheritance, and family law women were seriously undermined. For instance, customary laws were codified in a manner that frequently subordinated women’s rights to those of male relatives. These regulations, intended to bolster colonial authority, institutionalized women’s dependence on men. Evidence of the lasting impact of these structures can be observed in the ongoing existence of gender-discriminatory legal codes in postcolonial states. In states like India and Kenya, inheritance laws and property rights still favor men, and efforts to reform are frequently met with resistance. Therefore, the majority of Women in postcolonial societies struggle to secure equal land rights due to colonial-era legal frameworks. Unable to secure equal land rights implies negative economic security and autonomy, reinforcing cycles of dependency. Without financial stability, women are less likely to access education, health services, and other resources that could empower them. This systemic exclusion of women not only prevented them from having equal rights but also economically marginalized them.

Colonial legal frameworks were designed in a way that strengthened gendered labor divisions, simultaneously devaluing and marginalizing women’s economic contributions. They prioritized male-dominated sectors like cash crops, mining, and industrial activities while relegating women to unpaid domestic work, ultimately depriving women to cultivate their independence. This marginalization still exists today specifically in sub-Saharan Africa where women constitute the majority of the agricultural labor force yet lack access to capital, credit, and markets as well as property ownership due to discriminatory practices rooted in colonial policies. According to the International Labour Organization, women in many postcolonial states earn significantly less than men[1], with limited representation in formal sectors of the economy. Oxfam reports, that wealth remains overwhelmingly concentrated in the hands of men, with women disproportionately represented among the poorest[2]. Similarly, Boatcă highlights that women own less than 2% of the world’s land, despite comprising much of the agricultural labor force[3], reflecting colonial economic structures that systematically excluded women from wealth-generating opportunities. This depravity persists today, molded in the shape of pay parity and limited access to formal employment. This persistent economic marginalization limited women’s financial independence while intersecting with restrictions on their mobility.

To maintain social order, the physical and social mobility of women was also restricted in the colonial setting. With popular practices embedded in cultural norms, like the segregation of public spaces, imposition of dress codes, and reinforcement of domestic roles confined to women. The legacy of constricted mobility is maintained in the shape of women’s inability to travel freely, access education, or participate in public life. For example, in South Asia and parts of the Middle East, women often require permission from male guardians to travel or work, limiting opportunities for education and employment, hence reinforcing economic marginalization. According to a 2023 report by UN Women, restrictions on mobility remain a key factor preventing women of developing countries from accessing education, employment, and healthcare, particularly in Afghanistan[4]. Further, Women from poor, underdeveloped nations with colonial history experience barriers to international migration including financial constraints, legal restrictions, and risks of exploitation, mirroring social structures established during colonization that favored the movement of affluent, mostly male elites while limiting opportunities for marginalized communities.

The enduring legacies of colonialism continue to shape the social, economic, and political landscapes of postcolonial societies, systematically marginalizing women. Through colonial legal systems, women’s access to rights was curtailed, embedding patriarchal norms that persist today. Economically, the colonial model relegated women to unpaid or undervalued labor, stripping them of opportunities for wealth generation and financial autonomy. Simultaneously, restrictions on women’s mobility, rooted in colonial control mechanisms, have evolved into cultural and legal barriers that limit their access to education, employment, and public life. Addressing these multifaceted constraints requires transformative legal reforms, equitable economic policies, and a decolonization of societal norms. Only by dismantling the remnants of colonial systems can societies move toward genuine gender equality, enabling women to reclaim their mobility, economic power, and full access to their rights.

[1] Women at Work. “Women at Work in G20 countries: Progress and policy action.” Paper Prepared Under Japan’s G20 Presidency (2019), n.d.

[2] World Economic Forum. “5 shocking facts about inequality, according to Oxfam’s latest report,” September 10, 2024. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/01/5-shocking-facts-about-inequality-according-to-oxfam-s-latest-report/.

[3] Boatcă, Manuela, and Julia Roth. “Unequal and gendered: Notes on the coloniality of citizenship.” Article. Current Sociology, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392115614781.

[4] UN Women, International Organization for Migration (IOM), and United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). “Summary Report of Country-wide Women’s Consultations,” 2023. https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/summary-report_september-2023-women-consultations.pdf.