More than half the world’s population lives in property limbo, unable to prove legal rights. Without them, if a developer wants to build shopping mall on your land, they will encounter no problem in doing so.
In Africa, 90% of land in Africa is undocumented, so the land a family has farmed for centuries can be bulldozed in a minute. From the favelas of Rio, to the shanty towns of Mumbai, entire communities are living without title or tenure, and are losing their homes in name of development.

In some parts of the world, women cannot own, or even inherit land and property. Women produce half of the world's food, but only own 20% of its land.

The new media platform Place, launched by the Thomas Reuters Foundation, is making a case for property rights underying its benefits. They give security, and means that people can invest in their future. It has been proven that communities with property rights are stronger, healthier, wealthier and better educated.

"Place shines a spotlight onto this story to show how secure land and property rights can change lives – and the world" says their mission statement.

To learn more about property rights around the world, watch the video below:

Photo credits: Getty Images/Ulan Ifansasti