University Times

A University of Pittsburgh Press-published book has received this year's Best Book Prize from the New England Council of Latin American Studies (NECLAS).

"Empowering Women: Land and Property Rights in Latin America," by Carmen Diana Deere and Magdalena Leon, was named the best-book winner last month.The book is a volume in the Pitt Latin American Series and was published last year.

In the book, the authors explore the gap that still exists in Latin America between the property rights of married women and actual ownership of land. In their 12-county comparative study, the authors argue that property ownership is directly related to women's bargaining power within the household and community, point out challenges resulting from recent gender-progressive legislation and identify other areas for reform.

Deere is professor of economics and director of the Center for the Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Leon is a professor on the faculty of humanities and social sciences at the National University of Colombia.

"Empowering Women" also won the Latino Literary Hall of Fame Award for best history book in the non-fiction/English language category.