Dr. Hana Zahir, currently a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Chaudhry Nazar Muhammad (CNM) Department of Economics at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), stands out as a leading expert in the intersection of gender dynamics and agricultural economics. Holding a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, UK), her work sheds light on the the mechanisms through which women can gain empowerment over their land rights given the overarching political economy that surrounds land use and distribution in agricultural economies. She has been instrumental in drafting technical reports related to women's land rights with government agencies such as the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), Women's Development Department (WDD) and Punjab Land Regulatory Authority (PLRA), that have guided governmental policies in Punjab. Her insights have graced global platforms, including the World Bank South Asia Economic Policy Network Conference. She was the Uma Lele Fellow for the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association in the US in 2023. She has also worked as the Gender Specialist for Harvest Plus Asia (an IFPRI project).
Climate Change and the impact on Farmer Productivity in Pakistan (2013); Working Paper Series, International Development Research Centre (IRDC), Canada. Co-author, Dr Hadia Majid.
Social Institutions: Impediment to Decreasing Total Fertility Rates through Increasing Female Education in Developing Countries - Evidence from Pakistan; Winning Paper, Falak Sufi Memorial 2008 [http://www.fsmprize.com/]
2026 "Gender and the Economy" (Organizing Committee) at Lahore University of Management Sciences, "In-work poverty and Household Dynamics" (Organizing Committee) at School of Oriental and African Studies (UK) in collaboration with University of Rey Juan Carlos (Spain), International Initiative for Promoting Political Economy (IIPPE) Presenter (September, 2026), International Congress on In-work Poverty (Organizing Committee) at the University of Rey Juan Carlos (Spain).
2025: "Breaking Barriers: Equal Opportunities and Womens Social Roles" (Presenter) at University of Rey Juan Carlos, Spain, 3rd Annual Gender and Development Conference (DSA) in Norwich, UK (Attendee and Study Group participant)
(Presenter); SOAS Research Series Seminar (Presenter); Conference on Inequality and Poverty, Central European University (Presenter)
Using Kabeers Empowerment to explain why ownership of land does not benefit women in the long run: The Case of Punjab (Pakistan) (sent for peer-review Special Issue of Development in Practice 2026)
Individual vs household investments - the case of womens bargaining over land parcels in landed households in Punjab (Pakistan), book chapter in History of Gender and Feminist Economists in South Asia, forthcoming by Routledge Summer 2026. (Sent for peer-review)
What individual and household factors increase womens empowerment over rural, agricultural land? Evidence from Punjab (Pakistan) (R&R at World Development Perspectives, resubmitted)
Developing an understanding of the pathways that enable women from landed households to gain empowerment over land (Working Paper, accepted at Journal of Agrarian Change Conference in September 2026)
2023: 11th World Bank South Asia Economic Policy Network Conference (Presenter), Agriculture and Applied Economics Annual Meeting (Attendee)
2022: Sahida Wahid Gender Institute, LUMS (Presenter); Brown Bag Series Economics Department, LUMS (Presenter), London Political Economy Network PhD Conference
Uma Lele Fellowship (Jan 2023- Jan 2024)
Falak Sufi Memorial Prize (2008)
LUMS Vice Chancellor Scholarship for Climate Change (Sept 2012 -June 2013)
Does access equal control for women with regards to land rights? Evidence from Punjab (Pakistan), London School of Economics Engenderings Blog, Department of Gender Studies, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gender/2024/02/20/does-access-equal-control-for-womenwith-regards-to-land-rights-evidence-from-punjab-pakistan/
Informed consent is needed in Pakistans marriage contracts, The Economist. Co authored with Dr. Erica Field & Dr. Kate Vyborny
Digital Land Records as a Womens Empowerment Policy: Evidence from Punjab, Mahub ul Haque Blog Series, https://mhrc.lums.edu.pk/digital-land-records-as-a-women empowerment-policy-evidence-from-the-punjab/
Is womens access over land path dependent? Evidence from Punjab (Pakistan), Developing Economies Blog, https://developingeconomics.org/2024/07/10/is-womensaccess-to-land-path-dependent-evidence-from-punjab-pakistan/
The Hardest Part of Being a Gender Economist In Pakistan: Finding Data to Work With, Sahida Wahid Gender Initiative, https://swgi.lums.edu.pk/publications/gender-biannual/article/16099
Evaluating 2015 Legal Reforms Related to Land Inheritance and their Impact on Women, For Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (2016). Co-author, Mr. Adeel Shafqat
Evaluation of Land Record Management Information System (LRMIS) (2016), Presented to PLRA, Government of Punjab. Co-author, Mr. Adeel Shafqat
Training of Nikkah Registrars - Enabling Womens Access to their Legal Rights in Marriage (2017); Presented to PCSW & P&D, Departments, Government of Punjab. Co author, Dr Kate Vyborny