It is widely recognised that if women are to improve their lives and escape poverty, they need the appropriate skills and tools to do so.
Housing remains a very important part of people’s daily lives and women are not an exception. Housing can contribute to women’s living standards, opportunities and wellbeing.
Lack of housing ownership undermines women’s potential to secure health, education and employment, and increases their risk of vulnerability to poverty. The lack of housing ownership also contributes to women’s low social status and increasingly links them to development-related problems such as HIV AIDS, hunger and domestic violence.
Many women who lack housing ownership and control of assets are economically dependent upon their partners, a situation which makes them vulnerable to marital violence by their spouses.
On the other hand, women who own housing property are better positioned to improve their lives as housing is a significant economic asset that contributes to their independence, economic security and bargaining power in their households and communities.
Through home ownership, women can have improved mental and physical health, reduced economic strain and the ability to manage household income. Further, home ownership enables women to build their self-confidence and self-esteem. This is because they become financial contributors who can actively participate in house-hold decision making processes.
Additionally, women can be able to provide economic support to their families through home ownership using income generated in form of rent or a business.
The need for women to purchase and own housing property cannot be overemphasised. The benefits go beyond facilitating their participation in the family, the community and the nation at large. Research findings show that women with housing property are less likely to suffer abuse and mistreatment from their husbands and also enjoy financial independence. Generally, women with home ownership are happier with their lives than women without housing property.
Thus, Nkwashi offers flexible payment options that enables women to have access to land that will in turn bring an end to the economic uncertainty and vulnerability that women experience.